Marc Chagall 2016

This is a painting by Andrey Allakhverdov, a portrait of an artist painting a portrait. The paint has a juicy, almost cake-like texture, especially in the stained glass window in the background which shimmers with jewel-like colors. I love the painting within the painting, the man with the bright blue beard and the expression like, "Oh, you’re painting me, are you?" You can almost feel Allakhverdov’s hand at work, laying down each stroke with care. The artist is in dialogue with Chagall, one painter speaking to another across time. It makes me wonder about the conversation between them and the creative dance between influence and originality. Painting lets us embrace uncertainty, inviting multiple readings and connections that shift with time and perspective.