Portrait of the Girl in a Russian Dress 1910

This is Konstantin Makovsky's "Portrait of the Girl in a Russian Dress," and it feels like a scene caught between breaths. I can imagine Makovsky, brush in hand, circling his subject, trying to capture not just her likeness, but the very air around her. See how he's built up layers of luminous glazes and impasto—thick in some parts, thin in others—to create a sense of depth and texture. I wonder what it was like to sit for this painting. Did she fidget, or did she get lost in her own thoughts, gazing out the window? Look at the delicate way Makovsky renders the floral patterns on her headscarf. Each stroke seems intuitive, searching for the perfect balance between realism and expressive flourish. It’s almost as though he's trying to capture her inner world. You can see him channeling his artistic forebears while simultaneously carving out his own space. As painters, we're all in conversation with each other across time. It’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it?