Portrait of P.A. Vlasov 1903

This portrait of P.A. Vlasov was made by Boris Kustodiev in 1903, though the medium is not stated it has the hallmarks of charcoal. The artist takes a reductive approach here, using a limited palette to really get into the nitty gritty of tone and form. The marks, while somewhat academic, have a beautiful sensitivity, particularly in the way the white chalk is used to render the beard, there's a real softness there. You can almost feel the way Kustodiev is responding to the very fibers of the beard, teasing it out with the chalk, creating this beautiful halo effect. There's a definite likeness, but what I find most fascinating is how the artist captures a sense of interiority, the subject feels very much alive. It reminds me a little of the drawings of Käthe Kollwitz, also working in charcoal, there is a similar sense of empathy. Ultimately, the piece shows that a portrait can convey so much more than just physical likeness. It's a feeling, an emotion, a fleeting moment captured in time.