This surrealist artwork features a portrait of a woman, Galatea, constructed entirely from a complex arrangement of floating spheres. The spheres vary in size and translucency, creating a sense of depth and dimensionality as they recede toward a central point of perspective. The composition is highly structured, with the spherical forms meticulously organized to imply the features of a human face looking slightly to the side.
Set against a muted, light blue-grey background, the image utilizes a palette of creamy yellows, whites, and shadowy greys. The light appears to originate from the upper left, casting subtle gradients across the surfaces of the spheres, which gives them a glossy, almost planetary appearance. Thin, wispy tendrils of paint swirl between the spheres, adding an ethereal, dreamlike quality to the rigid geometric forms.
The medium is an oil painting characterized by a smooth, academic technique typical of the artist's mid-career period. The spheres are rendered with precision, contrasting with the soft, atmospheric backdrop. At the bottom, a flat, monochromatic surface provides an anchor for the floating elements, and a faint signature is visible in the lower center of the painted area.