Woman with rouge brush

A woman with a rouge brush — "benifude" — applying lipstick in one of Goyo's most frequent and celebrated compositional subjects from 1920. The minute act of applying rouge to the lips with a fine brush was among the most technically demanding of cosmetic applications, requiring steady hands, good vision, and a clear mental image of the desired result. Goyo renders the woman's concentration on this task with the same precision she herself applies to the brush: both artist and subject fully engaged with the challenge of achieving a perfect line.