L a - b e a u t é - s a u v e r a - l e - m o n d e ~ D o s t o ï e v s k i

L a - b e a u t é - s a u v e r a - l e - m o n d e ~ D o s t o ï e v s k i



Thursday, March 6, 2014

Portrait by Zaryanko, 1851




I have no idea who this woman is, but I love the tender precision of her wonderfully individual, perfectly vivid portrait - the light caressing and penetrating the differing textures of skin, hair, fabric - contrasted with the lower quarter of the painting, which is unfinished.  It's almost as if the painter is taunting us, having to remind us that this is a painting after all:  "And you thought - for a moment, at least - that she was real!"  But then, she is.




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2 comments:

  1. Paul G. EllisMarch 6, 2014 at 9:59 AM

    I know I'm projecting, but there is so much of her life and history coming out of her eyes. What a stunning portrait. I happen to agree that as far as painting is concerned portraiture is THE thing.

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    1. StephiliusMarch 6, 2014 at 12:10 PM

      I know, huh? Her personality just - flows - from this portrait. I'd love to know who she was, to know something of her story. I only discovered the painter, Zaryanko, recently; with my love for the great Russian portrait painters, I don't know how I've missed him until now.

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