The Pearl

‘The Pearl’ continues a line of work important to Anastasia Matsueva, in which movement, the musicality of the silhouette and the inner composure of the image are united in a highly concentration. The artist is characterised by themes of music, dance, movement and the image of the horse; in the gallery’s texts, it is precisely this circle of motifs that is described as fundamental to her artistic language.
In this work, Matsueva turns to a different state, one that is more intimate and focused. Whereas in the artist’s large-scale compositions movement unfolds as rhythm,
in ‘The Pearl’ it seems to be gathered within the form. The title itself sets the precise way of interpreting the work: a pearl does not reveal itself immediately; it emerges gradually, as the result of an inner maturing process. Consequently, the sculpture is perceived not only as an elegant plastic image, but also as a metaphor for a hidden value that arises from depth and acquiring a clear, complete outline. For Matsueva, the ability to translate an
emotional state into a harmonious plastic intonation is particularly important. In the gallery’s existing texts, her works are described as works in which movement is read as music, and music as plasticity. This formula also applies to ‘The Pearl’, although here it sounds quieter and more subtle. The work’s
inner rhythm is not brought to the fore, but is contained within the silhouette. Thanks to this, the image acquires a rare quality: it remains intimate in scale, yet retains a sense of inner fullness.
In this composition, bronze functions not only as a traditional sculptural material, but also as a medium for conveying duration. In the logic of Form C Bronze, bronze is linked to the memory of time, to the duration of experience, to the ability to retain within the material that which usually slips away. This is particularly evident in ‘The Pearl’: the work is built not on external effect, but on noble restraint, the precision of the silhouette and a sense of inner completeness.