Portrait of the actress Angelina Osipovna Stepanova 1933

In 1933, Pyotr Konchalovsky painted this portrait of the actress Angelina Osipovna Stepanova, most likely in oils. The painting has this wonderful tension, like Konchalovsky is trying to balance the real and the representational. Look at the mark making. It's not about perfection, but the process. He's building up layers, letting the brushstrokes show, and the colours are like, earthy and muted. It's not just about likeness; it's about texture and the pure materiality of the paint. Check out the blue dress - the paint is thin and transparent, creating these subtle, shimmering effects. Then, the dark overcoat is so dense and opaque, it feels almost sculptural. In contrast, the white bow is rendered with gentle brushstrokes. It is as if Konchalovsky is having a conversation between different ways of seeing and applying paint. Like his contemporary, Matisse, Konchalovsky is exploring how we perceive reality, one brushstroke at a time. It's less about what it is and more about how we see it.