Portrait SA Lukomskaya 1948

Zinaida Serebriakova captured S.A. Lukomskaya in a portrait using watercolor, and it feels so alive. The marks in this piece are like whispers. The paint is thin, almost transparent in places, allowing the paper's texture to peek through. See how the strokes around the scarf and hat are loose and free, as if Serebriakova is letting the water guide her hand? The red in the scarf is so vibrant and striking, and the brushstrokes are so loose, but they create a sense of depth. Then the way the lines in the scarf gently curve as if falling naturally. It's all very Edgar Degas, isn't it? That same interest in the body and the fleeting moment, but it's also uniquely Serebriakova. Her commitment to seeing what is in front of her, rather than relying on artifice. I think that's what makes this portrait so compelling. It feels like a glimpse into a real person, caught in a moment of quiet contemplation.