Nude 1929

Zinaida Serebriakova made this pastel drawing of a nude in 1929. It's a relatively straightforward image, but its cultural context is very interesting. Serebriakova was born into an artistic family in Russia, and her career spanned some tumultuous times. In 1924 she emigrated to Paris, and lived there until her death. The interesting thing about this drawing, made after she had left her homeland, is that it represents a practice rooted in the Russian academic tradition. The nude was a staple of art education at the time, but it had also become associated with conservative, bourgeois values. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the nude was frowned upon by the soviet authorities. One could thus view this drawing as a sort of exile's statement, an assertion of artistic freedom from Soviet cultural policies. To understand the meaning of art, it is crucial to consider such political contexts, and that is why it is important to consult primary documents and historical accounts.