Portrait of a ballerina L.A. Ivanova 1921

Zinaida Serebriakova made this portrait of a ballerina in a reddish-brown chalk. You can imagine the artist’s hand moving swiftly across the paper, capturing the dancer’s likeness with a few confident strokes. There’s a sense of immediacy here, as if Serebriakova is trying to capture a fleeting moment. I wonder what the studio was like, and what kind of conversation was going on between them. I see the way she’s used the chalk to create a sense of depth and volume, especially in the folds of the dancer’s skirt. The marks are smudgy and soft, giving the portrait a dreamy, ethereal quality. And how the dark strokes define the shadows around the model, setting her off against the ground. Serebriakova’s work, like that of many artists, reminds me that painting is an ongoing conversation across time. We are constantly inspired by and building upon the ideas of those who came before us. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.