Mauritius Muse II – Portrait Painting by Peter Engels 🟢

Mauritius Muse II – Portrait by Peter Engels

Created under the tropical sun of Mauritius, Mauritius Muse II is a warm and radiant portrait that captures more than beauty. It captures a moment of joy, collaboration, and connection. During their workation on the island, Peter Engels and his daughter Montana (known for her distinctive vertical line painting technique) were both inspired by the same young local woman.

She agreed to pose for them while eating a slice of watermelon, and both artists created her portrait in their own unique styles. The result: two interpretations of the same muse. Montana’s precise rhythm of lines, and Peter’s expressive, textured palette knife work.

In Peter’s painting, the young woman gazes directly at the viewer, her brown skin glowing in the sunlight, droplets still visible in her wet, combed-back hair. She wears golden earrings and a white necklace, with palm leaves and the ocean in the background framing her in a scene full of life and island spirit. The palette is rich and tropical (sun-warmed sepias, soft orange and reds, and glowing bronze tones). Thick strokes of the palette knife give her skin texture and warmth, as if touched by the Mauritian sun itself.

The painting measures 120 x 100 cm, painted on museum-quality Brussels cotton canvas, and is a tribute to the natural beauty and character of the Mauritian people. It’s a moment of relaxed elegance and tropical stillness.

And yes, the making-of video ends with a splash. When the two artists posed with their works by the pool, Montana playfully pushed Peter in, creating a video that went viral. It’s all part of the joy that lives behind this painting.

Together, both paintings form a heartfelt homage to the island, the people, and the shared creativity between father and daughter.