La Femme Charbon #5 is one in a series of portraits by Karenina Fabrizzi that depicts mysterious women who are both glamorous and vulnerable at the same time. In each, the face is partially hidden with a mask-like disguise of birds and foliage making her almost merge as one with nature. The oval format of the canvas resembles the traditional Victorian cameo – a classically beautiful profile set against a solid contrasting background . “‘Charbon’ is the French word for ‘coal’ and this raw material used in Victorian times in abundance is the inspiration for the background. Coal creates smog which can mask and distort reality, it is volatile – like these mystery women whose beauty and perfection also cannot last. “ Karenina Fabrizzi These women go to great lengths to achieve the illusion of perfection and mystique but in each case here, there is a twist. It comes sometimes in the form of a missing feature or a quiet vulnerability in the eyes that gives away a different story . This twist in an otherwise classic subject is characteristic of Karenina Fabrizzi’s work which often mixes fantasy with reality in a dreamlike composition.