Elina

About this Portfolio

When Leonarda da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, he created an icon for all times. Countless scholars have wondered at the paintings symbolism and craft, and even more museum goers have relished its artistry and intimate portrayal of a mysterious woman. But when it comes right down to it, painting, like all visual arts, is about light and dark and their apportionment across space. And in that sense, Elina's series, "Double Door," achieves the level of art.

To look at these photos is to be transported into a world of light and shadow, where each line, each crease, each dimple of light says something and accentuates the model. You almost can't imagine Elina posing in any other light, before any other door, so seamlessly does the setting blend in with the shape of her body.

This is a beautiful model, with gorgeous long brown curly hair, a highly romantic face, and a deliciously petite body. One could be forgiven for thinking that she could not look bad in any setting. However, in the one she is, she achieves the status of a great renaissance subject, posing as she is for the artist, giving her beauty to the world for all time.

And that is something truly exceptional.