Girl by a Pond (Portrait of Natalia Nesterova) 1923

Mikhail Nesterov made "Girl by a Pond" with what looks like oil paint; you can see the brushstrokes layering up. He's really feeling the process out, searching for the character of Natalia. I love how he's handled the colour in her dress, those violets and purples shimmering in the light. It’s not just one flat colour, but a mix of tones that give it depth and movement. Then you see those greens in the background, playing off the dress, a lively sort of chromatic harmony. I keep getting caught on the water, the way it reflects light and shadow, sort of impressionistic with little dabs of white suggesting dappled light. There's something of John Singer Sargent in the brushwork, that ease and confidence, but Nesterov is also doing his own thing, balancing light and dark, surface and depth. To me, it shows how painting is this ongoing conversation between artists, across time and place, echoing and responding to each other.