Woman in Blue 1934

Zinaida Serebriakova drew ‘Woman in Blue’ with pastels, probably in one sitting. I can imagine her, feeling the soft chalkiness of the pastel sticks in her fingers, building up the image with layers of gentle strokes. That blue, for instance, it’s not just one blue, is it? There's a whole range of blues in the shirt, from almost white to indigo, creating volume and light. And the paper itself seems to be influencing the colour, that subtle yellow diffusing into the blue, making the picture glow. I wonder what Serebriakova was thinking about as she worked, trying to capture the likeness and quiet presence of the sitter, the way the light catches her cheek? It feels like a very human moment, a kind of exchange between the artist and her subject. And that’s what painting is, isn’t it? A conversation across time.