Diana and Actaeon 1917

Zinaida Serebriakova created this painting, Diana and Actaeon, with bold brushstrokes and a palette that is a mix of earthy tones and deep blues. I like to imagine her in the studio, brush in hand, building up the layers of color, responding to the figures as they emerged. There is a tension between the freedom of her brushwork, and the constraints of the classical subject matter. It's interesting to consider how Serebriakova might have been thinking about this subject, and the old masters who painted it before her. Maybe she was thinking about how to make it new, how to bring her own voice to the conversation. I like the way the dark blues define a space where the ochre bodies can recline and cavort. There’s a lovely gestural quality to the running figure on the upper left. The diagonal slash of the arm really catches the light, and gives a sense of dynamism to the painting. We can consider how artists like Serebriakova and so many others are in an ongoing conversation, building upon each other’s ideas and approaches, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be, and embracing all its ambiguities.