Vajda Lajos Friends, 1937, Charcoal on Paper, 62x46cm 1937

Vajda Lajos made this drawing called Friends in 1937 using charcoal on paper. The charcoal is applied in delicate lines that overlap and intersect to create a multifaceted image, as if reality is constructed from layered perceptions. There’s a ghostly quality to this portrait. You can see the texture of the paper coming through the drawing, which gives the impression of a fleeting image. See how the lines are not strictly representational, but have a kind of diagrammatic quality? It's like Vajda is mapping out the internal architecture of the subject. I love the area around the head, where the lines become more abstract, suggesting something beyond the surface. This piece reminds me of Picasso's analytical cubism, where he breaks down forms and presents them from multiple viewpoints. But here, Vajda adds a layer of psychological depth that's all his own. It invites us to contemplate the complexities of human relationships and the many ways we see and understand one another.