The artwork “Nude Reading,” created in 1931 by Zinaida Serebriakova in Paris, France, is a pastel piece that falls within the Art Nouveau (Modern) and Art Deco movements. The work, measuring 63 x 48.5 cm, is a genre piece categorized as a nude painting (nu).
In this delicate rendering, the artist captures a nude female figure engaged in the act of reading. The posture of the subject is relaxed and contemplative, her body reclined with one hand supporting her head, and the other delicately holding what appears to be a piece of paper. The soft, muted tones of the pastel medium enhance the intimate and serene atmosphere of the composition. Light and shadow play subtly across the subject’s form, emphasizing her natural curves and the gentle folds of her flesh. The background remains understated, drawing the viewer’s focus to the solitary, meditative moment of the young woman. Serebriakova’s mastery of pastel is evident in the tender treatment of the figure’s skin and the fluidity of the lines. The overall impression is one of tranquility and introspection, characteristic of the themes explored within the Modern and Art Deco movements.
