Resting Negro. Marrakesh 1928

Zinaida Serebriakova made this pastel drawing, Resting Negro. Marrakesh, sometime in the first half of the 20th Century, and its colour palette is gorgeous, a dreamy mix of blues, pinks, and ochres. The way the pastel is applied, loose and smudged, gives it this incredibly soft, almost hazy quality. Looking at the work, you can see the texture of the paper coming through. Serebriakova doesn’t hide the process, she lets you see the strokes, the blending, the way the colours interact. It’s like she’s inviting you into her studio, to witness the act of creation. I love the way she’s rendered the model’s skin, the subtle shifts in tone, the way the light catches on her cheekbone, her hand, and the swathe of cloth she holds. Serebriakova has such a keen eye for capturing human emotion, and this piece really chimes with the work of Degas, who, like her, was fascinated by capturing fleeting moments.