Oil on canvas, Rublev colours, 91.5 x 61 cm plus frame size (6” wide).

Étude depicts a woman seated at a piano, viewed from behind. Her face is withheld, allowing the inclination of her head and the poise of her shoulders to convey her absorption. The viewer encounters a private moment of concentration, in which the figure’s presence is expressed through posture and light.

The composition is organised around the illuminated back, framed by the deep blue-green dress and the warm ochres of the interior. The horizontal lines of the keyboard and piano establish a measured structure against which the curves of the figure unfold. Light catches the gathered hair, the nape of the neck, and the folds of fabric, giving each a distinct texture while maintaining the unity of the painted surface.

The title carries its musical meaning of a study: an exercise in which repetition and discipline become the foundation of expression. That relationship finds a parallel in the painting itself, where close observation and the handling of colour serve an atmosphere of sustained attention. Passages of broken colour keep the surface alive, while the restrained tonal relationships hold the figure within the surrounding stillness.

There is an intimacy in seeing someone occupied with an activity that requires no acknowledgement of the observer. The music remains unheard, but its presence is suggested through rhythm, balance, and the attentive bearing of the seated figure.