Two Moons, One Gaze: Jacques Gabriel’s “Portrait, ca 1980–1985”

Jacques Gabriel paints a face the way memory paints—never purely one thing, never finished, always shimmering at the edge of a dream. In “Portrait, ca 1980–1985,” a woman emerges from a calm, blue hush as if she has been summoned by song: half daylight, half dusk, held together by poise, mystery, and a gaze that feels older than the frame that contains it.

The Split-Sun Portrait

At the center is a woman whose face is divided like a quiet eclipse—one side warmed by golden ochre, the other deepened into rich, earthen red. The line between them is clean, deliberate, almost ceremonial, as though Gabriel is showing us not a person but a balance: public and private, tenderness and strength, flesh and spirit.

Her eyes are wide and steady, outlined with a confident hand. They don’t plead or perform—they witness. Her lips, softly full and red, hold the stillness of someone mid-thought, mid-prayer, mid-story. Dark hair falls in long, simple strands, anchoring her to the human world even as the symbols around her suggest something more cosmic.

Above her, a large bow crowns her head like a festive crest—crimson and velvet-dark, tied with intention. Around it, bands of color curve like ribbons in motion, giving the impression of celebration held perfectly still. At her neck, a pale collar—decorated with delicate, lace-like patterns—adds a formal, almost regal note, as if she has dressed not for fashion, but for meaning.

Behind her, two rounded forms hover like guardians. One is unmistakably moonlike—a pale disc with a soft halo—and within it, a smaller orb glows faintly, like a distant sun or a remembered lantern. On the other side, a large profile of a face appears in pale cream and muted green, turned away in quiet contemplation. It feels like an echo-self, or an ancestral presence—something watching from the past, or perhaps the dream-world, while the central figure looks straight into now.

The whole scene floats on a cool blue field—clean, expansive, and calm—making the reds, golds, and whites feel even more luminous, like stained glass against sky.

Share Your Vision

When you pictured this portrait in your mind…

• What did you visualize first—the split face, the bow, or the moons behind her?

• Which figures or feelings emerged as you “stood” in front of her?

• Did it remind you of a dream, a memory, or a story you can’t fully explain?

If you’d like, share your interpretation in the comments—this is the kind of painting that changes depending on who is looking.

Now… See for Yourself

Was your imagination close to the canvas? 👉 Click here to see “Portrait, ca 1980–1985” by Jacques Gabriel

This is just one of the many visual treasures at Haiti Collection Privée. Explore the gallery and experience the depth, spirit, and poetic power of Haitian art.