A monographic exhibition at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza gathers more than twenty paintings by Polish artist Ewa Juszkiewicz, her first solo museum show anywhere. Since 2011 she has reworked historical female portraiture by hiding her subjects' faces under elaborate arrangements of fabric, hair, flowers and fruit.
What it is
Curated by Guillermo Solana with the artist, the show brings together 24 paintings made between 2013 and today, most from Juszkiewicz's recent output, including works conceived specifically for the Thyssen. The paintings draw on 18th- and 19th-century portrait conventions, then obscure the sitter's identity behind cascades of drapery, braided hair or still-life motifs borrowed from flower and fruit painting.
That combination of technical fidelity to historical portraiture and outright refusal to show a face runs through the work. Juszkiewicz paints with a traditional, highly finished technique, then pushes the palette toward brighter, more saturated colour than her sources ever used, closer in spirit to surrealism than to period pastiche.
Her work has previously been shown at the Brooklyn Museum, Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Museo Picasso Málaga, and sits in collections including the Albertina in Vienna and the Long Museum in Shanghai.
Why it's worth attending
The exhibition is Juszkiewicz's first monographic museum presentation, staged in close collaboration with the artist rather than as a retrospective assembled after the fact. It also includes pieces painted specifically for the Thyssen's Postpop galleries, so several works go on public view here before appearing anywhere else. At 24 paintings, it is a larger single-artist showing than most living painters get outside a full retrospective.
Practical info
The exhibition occupies the Postpop galleries within the museum's main building. Entry is combined with the permanent collection, so allow time to see both on the same ticket. Cloakroom facilities are available near the entrance on Paseo del Prado.
FAQ
How many paintings are in the Ewa Juszkiewicz exhibition at the Thyssen?
The show includes 24 paintings made between 2013 and 2026, most from the artist's recent output, plus a group of works painted specifically for this exhibition at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Who curated the Ewa Juszkiewicz exhibition?
Guillermo Solana, artistic director of the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, curated the show in close collaboration with the artist herself.
Why does Ewa Juszkiewicz hide the faces in her paintings?
Juszkiewicz obscures her sitters' faces with fabric, hair, flowers and fruit to shift attention away from period ideals of feminine beauty and onto the decorative elements historically used to frame them.
Is the Ewa Juszkiewicz exhibition included in the general Thyssen ticket?
Yes. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza sells a single ticket covering both the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, priced from €10.
Where has Ewa Juszkiewicz's work been exhibited before?
Her paintings have been shown at the Brooklyn Museum, Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, the Museo Picasso Málaga and the National Museum of China in Beijing.
