Portrait of Eugene Serebryakov 1909

Zinaida Serebriakova painted this portrait of Eugene with what looks like watercolour, and I just love how immediate and intimate it feels. The loose brushstrokes and muted colours give it this soft, dreamlike quality. I can almost feel the weight of his little head resting in his hand, lost in thought. The paint is thin, almost translucent, and this makes the whole image feel fresh and light. I wonder what Serebriakova was thinking as she painted. Did she want to capture a fleeting moment of childhood reverie, or was she simply observing her son, Eugene, as he played? There’s a tenderness in the way she’s rendered his face, his expression so wistful, and I think she captured something really special here. It reminds me that we, as artists, are all in conversation with each other across time, borrowing ideas, expanding on themes, and pushing the boundaries of our mediums. And it’s a beautiful thing.