„It’s about stripping away the layers of makeup we all put on, to reach the epidermis and, once there, try to go a little deeper.“
Carlos de Amor in Retratarte
About Me
My name is Marie Pilars de Pilar, and I am a German portrait painter based in Seville, Spain.
As a child, I loved drawing and painting, but I initially chose to study economics and pursue a career in finance. It wasn’t until I moved to Spain in my late thirties that I painted my first portrait in oil—and that’s when everything began. I became deeply fascinated by the challenge of capturing expressions and the emotions behind them, and the depth of oil colors seemed just perfect for that. A few years later, I am dedicating myself to portrait painting through commissions.
I believe there is something profoundly compelling about the psychonomy of the face—the study of how inner states reveal themselves through the visible language of expression. That’s why I always begin with a study of proportions and the unique traits of each face I paint, and I try to get to know my sitter as well as possible. Every face is unique, and in every face, there is beauty. I see it as my task to capture both this uniqueness and this beauty.
Early on, I was inspired by the incredible work of Albrecht Duerer and became curious about how Johannes Vermeer used optics to paint something as realistic as Girl with a Pearl Earring. I admire the bold brushstrokes and color palette of David Hockney, as well as the oversized portraits of Alex Katz—and, of course, the beautiful light of Joaquín Sorolla, which I now enjoy every day in his home country.
