Curatorial Narrative Studio Party (Soire) by Florine Stettheimer presents itself as an exemplar of Expressionist figuration in the early 20th century. Created during a time when modernity was beginning to assert its presence, Stettheimer’s work navigates the tension between avant-garde experimentation and the luxurious atmosphere of high society. The artist’s use of impasto brushwork imbues the painting with a tactile quality that belies its representation of an opulent gathering. As she excavated her subjects from their Art Deco surroundings, Stettheimer revealed their inner lives through a chromatic structure characterized by bursts of red, yellow, blue, green, and pink.When viewed at 46×44 inches, the spatial rhythm of Studio Party (Soire) expands to dominate the wallscape. The palette assumes an unmediated presence, its colors bleeding into one another with a depth that draws the viewer into the scene. Material pairing is essent