Yorkshire Venus is a contemporary reimagining of Diego Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, transporting the iconic reclining figure from the private interior of the Old Master’s painting into the open landscape of the Yorkshire moors.

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The familiar female form remains, but her surroundings have changed completely. She lies upon a grassy moorland mound, gazing towards distant hills beneath a glowing Yorkshire sunset. The landscape draws on the atmospheric tradition of John Constable, whose paintings captured not simply the appearance of the British countryside, but its mood, light and emotional character.

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For Lees, the setting becomes a metaphor for transition. The descending sun and golden light evoke a changing season in a woman’s life, reflecting upon the experience of menopause and the passage of time. The painting is rooted in Lees’ own experience of this transition, allowing the historical figure of Venus to become a vehicle for something deeply personal and contemporary.

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Yet the direction of her gaze remains deliberately ambiguous. Is she looking back towards the life she has lived, or towards the landscape of what is still to come? The distant hills suggest a future that remains unknown, while the fading light speaks of time passing and the beauty that can exist within change.

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By bringing Velázquez’s Venus into the Yorkshire landscape, Lees creates a dialogue between art history, place and personal experience. Yorkshire Venus considers femininity, ageing, identity and the passage of time through a meeting of the Old Master tradition and the contemporary female experience.

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Oil on canvas 100 x 76 x 2cm 

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Acquired