The market in Pont L`Abbe 1934

Zinaida Serebriakova painted this bustling marketplace in Pont L`Abbe using watercolor. You can see the white of the paper showing through the layers of colour, which gives the image a sense of light and movement. Serebriakova really gets the push and pull of a crowd, and the colours are muted, almost earthy, except for that one striking red tent. It’s like a beacon drawing you into the heart of the market. Look closely, and you can see how the brushstrokes are loose and gestural, especially in the way she renders the figures and the tents. It's as though she’s trying to capture the energy of the scene, rather than a photographic representation of it. The paint is thinly applied, allowing the texture of the paper to peek through, which adds a certain lightness and airiness to the composition. I’m reminded a little of Dufy, with that emphasis on capturing the essence of a scene, rather than precise detail. Ultimately, painting is all about embracing the messy and unpredictable nature of life, isn’t it?