Lake Geneva 1954

Zinaida Serebriakova made this painting of Lake Geneva with watercolor, and the way the colors blend and bleed together, it feels like she’s capturing a fleeting moment. I find myself drawn to the lower left corner, where you can see the embankment. The bricks are suggested with these little daubs of color - brown, ochre, a touch of red - that capture the rough texture of the stone. The way the water stretches out to the island in the distance, it's all about transparency and light. There’s a softness to this painting that reminds me of Corot, that feeling of atmosphere and light. But Serebriakova brings her own sensibility to it, a kind of quiet intimacy. It invites us to slow down, to breathe, and to contemplate the world around us. Art doesn't have to shout to be profound. Sometimes, it whispers.