Ballet washroom 1924

Zinaida Serebriakova’s oil painting, Ballet washroom, invites us into the backstage world of dancers preparing for the stage. It's a space of precarity and preparation. You can see the brushstrokes, how they capture the textures of skin and fabric. The color palette is a warm, earthy, peachy tone. I imagine Serebriakova, brush in hand, trying to capture not just the likeness of these dancers, but the fleeting moments of their preparation. Look at the dancer in the foreground, her arm raised as she arranges her hair. You can almost feel the tension in her muscles, the focus in her eyes. What's she thinking about as she gets ready? Is she nervous, excited, or just lost in her own thoughts? Painters are always in dialogue with one another, aren’t they? This work reminds me of Degas, and his backstage ballet scenes. Serebriakova shares his interest in capturing these intimate, candid moments, but she brings her own unique perspective, doesn't she? She transforms the two-dimensional canvas into a space of inquiry and imagination. It's not just about what we see, but what we feel and imagine.