Rocio

Oil on Canvas. Unframed 19"x23" / 50cm x 60cm 

In this portrait, by Cuban Artist Maikel Benítez shifts from outward strength to inward stillness. The figure appears with eyes gently closed, suspended in a moment of introspection that feels intimate and almost sacred. The crown of softly rendered roses hovers above her dark hair like a quiet halo, introducing a sense of fragility and reverence rather than celebration.

Benítez’s signature textured brushwork fragments the face into luminous planes of warm ochres, muted pinks, and deep shadows, creating a surface that feels weathered by emotion rather than time. Light and darkness coexist across her features, suggesting an inner dialogue—memory, sorrow, resilience—unspoken yet deeply present.

Overall, the painting emanates a profound calm tinged with melancholy. It invites the viewer into a private pause, a breath held between vulnerability and acceptance, where beauty is not declared, but quietly endured.