Portrait of a ballerina L.A. Ivanova 1921

Zinaida Serebriakova made this portrait of a ballerina, L.A. Ivanova, using sanguine, that lovely, earthy red chalk, to build up the image from a simple gesture. It's amazing how much she achieves with so little, a truly process-led work. Sanguine has a beautiful, soft texture, doesn’t it? Here, it gives a warmth to the ballerina's skin, creating a sense of gentle movement. Look at how the marks around her hair are scribbled in, adding a sense of volume and energy. Then, see how the lines defining her tutu are so light and tentative, leaving plenty of room for our imagination to fill in the details. The way Serebriakova captures the human form reminds me a bit of Degas, another artist who was fascinated by dancers. But where Degas often focused on the spectacle of the performance, Serebriakova seems more interested in capturing a quiet, intimate moment of a ballerina in repose. In art, like in dance, there's always more than one way to interpret the steps.