This original oil painting by Samir Rakhmanov depicting a young woman combing her hair 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 portrays the artist's girlfriend in a quiet domestic setting, occupied by a daily self-care ritual.

Created during the 2020 lockdown in St.Petersburg, Russia, this artwork was conceived unexpectedly: "This was an attempt to depict motion in the eternal, to make this motion endless, while at the same time to define it clearly, since nuances are lost in static poses. I constantly asked the model not to freeze for too long but to repeat that combing movement" —Samir comments.

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 of 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: 90 × 66 cm (35.4 × 26 inches)
— Medium: Oil on canvas
— Genre: Portrait
— Style: Contemporary Impressionism / Realism
— Colour scheme: Pale yellow, silver, blues and bright red