portrait of the artists daughter 1909 Sergey Malutin (1859-1937)

Here we observe a pastel drawing depicting a young girl in profile, her gaze directed downwards and slightly away from the viewer. The composition is intimate; she appears absorbed in something beyond our sight, likely a book or text resting on a dark surface before her. Her head rests gently upon her hand, an action that conveys a sense of quiet contemplation or perhaps even weariness.
The artist employed a limited palette dominated by cool tones – blues, grays, and whites – which contribute to the overall somber mood. The application of pastel is loose and expressive; strokes are visible, creating a textured surface that softens the edges of forms and avoids sharp definition. This technique lends an immediacy and fragility to the portrayal. Light falls primarily on her face, highlighting subtle nuances in skin tone while leaving much of the background in shadow.
The girl’s expression is difficult to read definitively; it suggests a mixture of seriousness and perhaps a touch of melancholy. The downward cast of her eyes implies introspection or a degree of sadness. Her clothing – a blue blouse with a simple collar – is rendered with similar looseness, blending into the background rather than drawing attention to itself.
Subtly, the work hints at themes of childhood innocence and intellectual engagement. The act of reading suggests an opening towards knowledge and imagination, while her posture conveys a sense of vulnerability and quiet solitude. The muted colors and soft rendering evoke a feeling of tenderness and protectiveness, as if the artist sought to capture not just a likeness but also the essence of this young girl’s inner world. The inscription in the upper right corner – a date and what appears to be a name – provides a personal context, anchoring the image within a specific time and relationship.