Japan (odalisque) 1916

Zinaida Serebriakova conjured "Japan (odalisque)" using fluid brushstrokes, laying down ochre tones, and cool blues, almost as if building a form out of pure light and shade. I like to think of Zinaida, brush in hand, contemplating the model’s pose. The weight on her knees, the careful adjustment of the fan, all these details carefully observed and then reinvented through paint. The color pools and collects, giving depth to her skin, and look at that confident, almost playful, blue cloth draped around the figure, adding a spark of energy to the composition! You can almost feel Zinaida capturing the very essence of a fleeting moment with each stroke. Serebriakova’s work brings to mind the paintings of Suzanne Valadon and the compositional strategies of Edgar Degas. All painters, from the past until now, are in constant conversation with one another, borrowing, learning, and pushing the boundaries of their art. Serebriakova has created a space in which our own imagination can roam free, without the pressure to conform. It's this freedom, this openness, that makes painting so alive.