Portrait of the artist's daughter 1935

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin painted this portrait of his daughter around 1933, and it’s such a gentle thing. Look how he builds up the skin tones, almost like watercolors, letting the light filter through in layers. You get the sense of artmaking as this tender, additive process. The colors aren't showy; it’s all muted browns, pinks, and the subtle blues in her dress. It's about the way the light catches her face, the soft blush on her cheeks. The paint is applied thinly, in washes, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through. The thinness of the paint speaks to the subject matter. The girl is at that stage in her life where she is neither a child nor a woman, she is in the process of becoming. See how she rests her hands, one over the other? It’s like she’s holding onto herself, her thoughts, and her future. You might see echoes of early Renaissance portraiture here, something classical, but with a modern sensibility. It’s a quiet, loving study, full of gentle humanity.