Portrait of the composer's daughter, EF Napravnik 1910

Zinaida Serebriakova, paints "Portrait of the composer's daughter, EF Napravnik" with what looks like delicate, subtle brushwork. The colors are muted, giving it a quiet, contemplative mood. I'm thinking about Serebriakova, brush in hand, trying to capture not just what's in front of her, but something of the sitter’s essence. See how the background almost dissolves? It's a wash of blues. Meanwhile, that shawl she's wearing has these folds that feel both soft and substantial. I like how she’s made a painting within a painting, a landscape drawing on the wall. The whole painting has a gentle quality to it. You know, painting is a conversation across time. We look at a painting, and it looks back, inviting us to bring our own stories and feelings to the mix. There’s no one way to see it. Each of us sees something different, and that’s the beauty of it.