Katya still life 1923

Zinaida Serebriakova painted "Katya Still Life" with what looks like umber, ochre, and earth tones, but also with a very restrained and sweet touch. I can just imagine Serebriakova setting this up in her kitchen and the little girl, Katya, sitting so nicely and peeling an apple as still life objects—fish, radishes, cabbage—were placed just so. You can see that Serebriakova has used thin paint and quick strokes and then built up the tones to make a solid but informal composition. She paints with a kind of nonchalance that hides the construction of the whole scene. It feels so easy, like a snapshot. I think Katya’s gaze is key—she's both there in the room with the artist and also in her own world. The artist Ilya Repin was an influence for Serebriakova, as were the Impressionists. You can imagine that all artists are in a conversation across time, always inspiring one another to keep painting.