Portrait of a nurse 1907

Zinaida Serebriakova painted this portrait of a nurse with oil on canvas, and I immediately want to know her story. The red of her blouse is a strong, earthy color, but her face is softened, almost faded. I wonder if Serebriakova was trying to capture the simultaneous strength and exhaustion of someone in a caring profession? The thick paint seems to mimic the weight of her responsibilities. It’s not quite expressionistic but there’s something very moving here. It makes me think about how we use color to depict emotion, and how Serebriakova uses a limited palette to draw attention to the humanity of her sitter. There's a kind of quiet dignity in her gaze. She looks so composed, yet the painting feels unfinished, or maybe it's just honest. Painting is like that: you're always in conversation with the person you're painting, but also every other painter. Everyone who has ever tried to capture a likeness, a feeling, a life.