Woman in Front of a Mirror – 21st Century Contemporary Impressionist Painting2020

This artwork conveys a strong sense of heritage. Imbued by the tradition of Degas and Bonnard, with their delicate voyeuristic depictions of women at their toilette, this work depicts Varvara in a quiet domestic setting, occupied by a daily make-up routine. The work captures peculiar angles and fragmented perspectives of life in motion, making it at once both personal and universal. The perfectly balanced composition directs attention to the figure at the centre, compressing the room’s depth and reducing the interior to a few luminous quasi-abstract shapes suggestive of the artist’s interest in Diebenkorn and Ukiyo-e. “I am continuously fascinated by my girlfriend’s elaborate grooming rituals. This painting was painted during quarantine, when I had the time to investigate the meditative and demanding nature of those rituals. I attempted to paint a scene on the verge of realism and abstraction. In art, I am most attracted by the border between the understandable and real on one hand and the abstract and notional on the other.” — Samir recalls. An exquisite colourist and a strong advocate of realistic traditions, Samir Rakhmanov creates work that exhibits an effortless and elegant aura. Luminous and fresh, each piece feels as though it has just been completed. Samir internalizes the achievements from great artists of the past, from Diego Velázquez to Édouard Vuillard. He is passionate about advancing the figurative tradition forward, and he has already developed a distinctive voice of his own. Born in Ukraine and raised in Azerbaijan, in 2020 Samir Rakhmanov graduated with distinction from the prestigious Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, Russia. The artist has held exhibitions in Russia, France and the United States and his works sell out fast given a large collector base not only in Europe and the USA but also in the Middle East, China, Australia and Singapore to name a few. Samir is a resident artist of our gallery The Russian Ark. This unique original artwork comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist. — Signed lower left: Rakhmanov — Size: 40 × 50 cm (15.7 × 19.7 inches) — Medium: Oil on canvas — Genre: Urban Landscape — Style: Contemporary Impressionism / Realism — Colour scheme: Silver blue, warm green, pearl grey **** All artworks from our gallery ship safely to your door with DHL Express in a custom-made plywood crate. Framing options available – please contact us if you need any help with this.