Daughter of a fisherman. 1936 Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)

The composition presents a young girl positioned centrally within a confined architectural space. She is framed by what appears to be a doorway or window frame, constructed from roughly rendered wooden planks. The light source originates from behind her, illuminating the front of her face and upper body while casting the background into a softer focus.
Here we see a deliberate contrast between the girl’s immediate surroundings and the vista visible through the opening. Beyond the frame lies a landscape dominated by a hazy sky and a suggestion of water – likely the sea. A second, smaller figure is present in this distant view, seemingly observing the central subject from within the same space but at a distance.
The girls expression conveys a sense of quiet introspection or perhaps melancholy. Her gaze is directed forward, yet lacks animation; her mouth is slightly parted as if she might be about to speak, though no sound emerges. The artist has rendered her skin with a palette that suggests sun exposure and a certain degree of hardship. She wears a simple pink garment adorned with a dark beaded necklace.
The rough texture of the wooden frame contributes to an overall feeling of austerity and enclosure. It reinforces the sense that this is not a scene of carefree leisure, but one marked by constraint and perhaps even vulnerability. The placement of the second figure in the background introduces a subtle element of observation or surveillance, hinting at a social dynamic where privacy is limited.
The color scheme, dominated by earthy tones punctuated by the pink garment, evokes a sense of realism while also contributing to the painting’s somber mood. It suggests an environment shaped by labor and exposure to the elements. The work seems to explore themes of childhood, isolation, and the quiet dignity found within modest circumstances.