Portrait of Virginie Despentes, from the “Les Palpitantes” series—a work centered on the writer-artist. Through her fierce and visceral writing, Virginie Despentes addresses the human condition in contemporary society. She also follows in the footsteps of predecessors such as Colette and Simone de Beauvoir; the thread running through the canvas evokes this bond of sisterhood. She is connected to her work on a visceral level through her personal journey as a woman. In doing so, she cultivates a realm of legitimacy and physical experience that imbues her writing with its immense power—earning her a place in the series. Thus, she creates a seraglio of legitimacy and physical experience which gives her writing all its power. She finds her place in the series.