Portrait of a girl (Ekaterina Antropova) (1910s) Nikolay Feshin (1881-1955)

The portrait presents a young woman in a close-up composition. She is positioned slightly off-center, her gaze directed towards the viewer with an expression that appears both vulnerable and subtly defiant. The artist has employed a loose, expressive brushstroke throughout, creating a sense of immediacy and capturing a fleeting moment rather than striving for photographic realism.
The color palette is dominated by dark tones – deep blacks and browns – which serve to emphasize the pale complexion of the subject’s face and the delicate white lace collar adorning her neck. Hints of red on her lips and cheeks, along with touches of gold in her hair, provide subtle points of warmth against this somber backdrop. The application of paint is particularly noticeable in the rendering of the hair; short, choppy strokes suggest a certain disarray or perhaps a deliberate rejection of conventional notions of feminine beauty.
The hand, partially obscuring the lower portion of the composition, is rendered with considerable detail, drawing attention to its delicate structure and the subtle play of light upon the skin. The gesture itself – the slight inclination of the wrist and the positioning of the fingers – conveys an air of introspection or perhaps a restrained nervousness.
The background is indistinct, almost entirely absorbed into the darkness, which concentrates the viewer’s focus on the subjects face and her immediate surroundings. This lack of contextual detail contributes to a sense of isolation and intimacy. The overall effect suggests a psychological portrait, one that seeks to capture not merely physical likeness but also an inner state – a quiet melancholy or perhaps a nascent strength. There is a feeling of transition present; the girl seems poised on the cusp of adulthood, her expression hinting at both innocence and emerging complexity.