Portrait of Else Prior Havemann 1940

Filipp Malyavin painted this portrait of Else Prior Havemann in 1940, and it seems he really went to town with the brushstrokes. Look at the way he's used these strokes to build up the form, especially in the folds of her blue dress. The brushwork is so free, almost like he’s sculpting the fabric with paint. The texture is thick, but not in an overwhelming way, more like a celebration of the paint itself. It's like he’s saying, “Hey, look at this amazing stuff and all the things you can do with it." The background is also interesting, kind of murky with these hints of red and green. They create a depth and atmosphere that pushes the figure forward, making her more present. It reminds me a little bit of the portraits of John Singer Sargent, both capturing a likeness but also revelling in the sheer joy and potential of painting. It’s all about embracing ambiguity, isn't it?