In So This Is Love, gothic romantic painter Marty Engle captures a tender impossibility — a quiet café tryst that is more than meets the eye. Is the beast really there? Is the beast an imaginary companion? Does she know he’s there, only a heartbeat away. Who is really invisible to the passerby? Is it a lady sitting alone with her desire or is it a beast aching with desire. Rendered in his signature contemporary figurative style, the scene balances shadow and glow: a woman in a crimson beret leans close to a lilac-hued demon, their intimacy so gentle it almost hurts to look at. Can love and desire be tamed?
With loose, expressive brushwork and a moody chiaroscuro palette, Engle turns a simple act — two souls sharing a cafe moment — into a meditation on acceptance, vulnerability, invisibility and desire.
• Museum‑quality, archival matte paper (175‑189 g/m²)
• Giclée ink printing ensures rich, lasting color
• Full‑color edge‑to‑edge printing
• Frame not included
• Please allow 2–7 business days for production. Shipping typically takes: USA 5–10 business days, Canada 5–15 days, and International 10–30 days. Times may vary during peak holiday seasons
In So This Is Love, gothic romantic painter Marty Engle captures a tender impossibility — a quiet café tryst that is more than meets the eye. Is the beast really there? Is the beast an imaginary companion? Does she know he’s there, only a heartbeat away. Who is really invisible to the passerby? Is it a lady sitting alone with her desire or is it a beast aching with desire. Rendered in his signature contemporary figurative style, the scene balances shadow and glow: a woman in a crimson beret leans close to a lilac-hued demon, their intimacy so gentle it almost hurts to look at. Can love and desire be tamed?
With loose, expressive brushwork and a moody chiaroscuro palette, Engle turns a simple act — two souls sharing a cafe moment — into a meditation on acceptance, vulnerability, invisibility and desire.
• Museum‑quality, archival matte paper (175‑189 g/m²)
• Giclée ink printing ensures rich, lasting color
• Full‑color edge‑to‑edge printing
• Frame not included
• Please allow 2–7 business days for production. Shipping typically takes: USA 5–10 business days, Canada 5–15 days, and International 10–30 days. Times may vary during peak holiday seasons
