Nude reading 1931

Zinaida Serebriakova made this pastel drawing, Nude Reading, in Paris, in 1931. Imagine her, pencil in hand, lightly sketching in the curves of the body, with pastel crayons adding soft hues of peach, pink, blue, and grey. I'm thinking about the intimacy of the scene - a woman, nude, totally absorbed in her reading. What is she thinking? What is the artist thinking, watching her? The lines are so delicate, almost hesitant, as if Serebriakova is feeling her way around the form, trying to capture its essence without imposing too much. Look at the little touches of bright colour – a flash of pink on the pillow, a touch of blue outlining the leg - which bring the whole thing to life. The grey scribbles around the figure remind me of some of Degas' drawings, there's a similar interest in capturing the fleeting moment. This drawing feels like a private moment shared between artist and model, a quiet exploration of form, light, and shadow. Painting is a language, always evolving, always open to new interpretations.