This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.Meet Nieves González, the Artist Turning Baroque Painting Into a Modern Fashion Obsession

Sarah CristobalMon, April 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

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Nieves González Is Fashion’s Favorite New ArtistNieves González/Courtesy of the Artist

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Nieves González had been quietly making a name for herself in her native Spain when she received a DM that would catapult her into an alternate creative stratosphere. The message came from editor-in-chief-slash-stylist Leith Clark, who had seen González’s work on Instagram and wanted to enlist her for a special project. Enter Lily Allen.

When González’s portrait of the star appeared on the cover of West End Girl this past October, it caused as much of a commotion as Allen’s hyperpop hits. The singer’s fifth studio album was an autofictional account of the dissolution of her marriage—but González presented a stoic image. Her subject had not succumbed to victimhood, but rather appeared poised and coolly in control. In an oversize light-blue polka-dot Miu Miu puffer jacket, black silk skirt with lace trim, and white Valentino boots with polka dots, our heroine gave off a regal air.

González’s portrait of Lily Allen for the cover of West End Girl.Courtesy of the artist

Since González graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts from the University of Seville in 2021, she has made a practice out of melding 17th-century Baroque aesthetics with contemporary culture. (Think Francisco de Zurbarán for the scroll-happy Gen Z set.) And that audience is only growing. Immediately after her Allen coup, González received requests for custom pieces and interest from new galleries—look for her first show in Paris at HdM on April 7—and, sí, also garnered thousands of new followers, seemingly in a matter of minutes. “I’m not going to lie, it’s been a little overwhelming,” she admits with a chuckle over Zoom from her studio in Grenada. “In the end, this is all for the better, and it’s super beautiful—it’s my dream.”

González poses in front of her painting of Allen.Jose Albornoz

González, 29, grew up in Huelva in the Andalusia region and hails from a family of seamstresses. Though her mother taught her to sew from a young age, by the time she was seven, she was more interested in drawing than stitching. Since she was always equipped with a paintbrush throughout her formative years, it almost seemed predestined that she would become an artist. Nevertheless, “the idea of fashion has been very present” in her life, González says.

La Santa y el Beso, oil on canvas.Courtesy of the artist

Her partnership with Allen was a bit of an anomaly. To date, the only other woman whom González was dedicated to exploring as a lone subject was Mary Magdalene, for a show that ran in Rome this past winter. (“She felt like a very important character to demystify,” says González, who looks to reexamine tropes around history and religion in her work.) Usually, she says, the women in her paintings are composites of people she sees on the street, a fleeting image, or maybe even herself. “I’m interested in normal girls. I’m not looking for anything in particular,” she says. Her meticulous process involves painting layer by layer, using an Old Master-style glazing technique, until a persona emerges hazily from the work rather than through direct one-on-one interaction. (González created Allen’s portrait from photographs the singer’s team sent to her.)

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“El gato negro,” oil on canvas.Courtesy of the artist

González’s anthropological approach also extends to her subjects’ attire. She’s fond of puffer coats not only because they are a universally favored garment, but also because they add volume and dimension that pair well with the rich, textured tones of her blended palettes. Overall, she aims for looks that feel current but not overwhelming. “I don’t want it to be a costume; I want it to be organic,” she says. “Something that is striking, but at the same time, it should make sense and be elegant.”

“Solstice,” oil on canvas.Courtesy of the artist

In an effort to avoid being pigeonholed by the puffer, González is experimenting with textures like feathers and furs as she expands her practice. In some of her paintings, like those she recently showed at Bilbao’s SC Gallery + Projects, fur coats replace the puffers. With new subjects lining up and an ever-growing community forming around her, all eyes are now on the young artist. So what does she want to do next? “I’m ready for a cool fashion collaboration,” she says, smiling. “Let’s see if something comes from your magazine! ¡Hola, Hermès! ¿Me oye?”

Lead image: “La Santa y el cisne” (2025) by Nieves González.

This story appears in the April 2026 issue of ELLE.

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