Portrait of Mstislav Rostropovich 2000

Tahir Salahov made this portrait of Mstislav Rostropovich with oil paints, and, well, isn’t it something? The way the artist simplifies the background into these geometric shapes, almost like a puzzle, sets the stage for the main event – Rostropovich himself. I love how Salahov uses these warm, earthy tones. There's this gorgeous tension between the flatness of the backdrop and the more sculpted form of the musician and his cello. Look at the cellist’s hand, the way it’s gently coaxing music from the instrument. It's like the hand is an extension of the cello itself, both rendered with a similar care. The painting reminds me a little bit of some of Picasso’s portraits, especially in the way the subject’s face is tilted. Art is always like this ongoing conversation, you know? No one's really working in a vacuum.