Swan – Oil Painting by Cornelie Wolff

Swan – Oil Painting

Dimensions: 36 cm x 46 cm x 4 cm 

Medium: Oil

Dramatic depths of identity and transformation, an arresting oil painting work that merges portraiture with surreal mythology. Set against a background of electrifying, visceral crimson, this oil painting commands the room with its intensity.

The central figure is captured in a state of exquisite, dreamlike change. A delicate female face, rendered with lifelike subtlety and closed eyes suggesting deep introspection, is partially veiled by the form of a white swan. The bird’s head and neck become a striking, feathery headdress, merging the animal and human forms. The rich texture of the pristine white plumage—created with bold, energetic strokes—contrasts dramatically with the smooth, soft rendering of the skin. A glint of metallic gold on the swan’s beak adds a touch of luxurious, unexpected warmth.

An extraordinary acquisition for collectors of figurative, expressive, and deeply symbolic art. It is a stunning, emotionally charged statement piece that will inspire endless interpretation and conversation.

Oil Painting

Cornelie Wolff Approaching Art from a Different Angle

This Johannesburg-based artist started as a pharmacist.  After completing her Honours Degree in Psychology, she joined Helios to further her skills in Art Therapy.   During this time, she fell in love with art, the process and the emotional power it yields.

While raising her family, which consisted of three young children, she took part-time classes with Rika de Klerk and Willie Jacobs.  She also attended workshops led by Koos Bronkhorst, Niel Moss, Willie Jacobs, Rentia Coetzee, Ruth Walters, Elize Bezuidenhout, Douw van Heerden, Charla Maarschalk, and Jennifer McChristian.

Today, she practices what she preaches by creating her work under the motto: “With every painting I complete, I grow as a person and an artist.”

My art is created from a place of wonder – it is my dream for every human to never completely lose the child inside them, because it is our ability to see wonder and magic in things.  I use bold brushstrokes, contrast and an impressionistic approach to entice the viewer to create their own interpretation of the subject and become part of my world.