Portrait of A.B. Serebryakov 1938

Zinaida Serebriakova painted this portrait of A.B. Serebryakov in muted shades of ochre, brown, and gray. I’m imagining her in the act of painting, trying to capture a likeness, and the subtle flush of his face in watercolor – that’s not easy! You have to think ahead, be very deliberate. The soft shadows cast around his eyes and along the side of his nose give his face depth. I wonder what he was reading? I am curious about the dark scribbles behind his head, like the shadow of an idea. Serebriakova's been quite economical here. She has implied so much with so few marks. The book in his hands is just blocks of color, yet together, they create the quiet scene of someone deeply engrossed. Painters are always in dialogue with each other, echoing and responding across time. I see something of Vuillard in this portrait. It reminds me that every brushstroke is a conversation!