Portrait of a Woman 1920

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing of a woman in 1920 using charcoal. I can imagine him moving quickly, capturing her essence with swift strokes, blocking out the dark tones and then gently smudging them to create the half-tones. Her gaze is soft and the charcoal lines are delicate, a gentleness pervades the whole image. I wonder if the artist was in love! There is a lovely dark patch at her chest; I wonder why he chose to shade this area so darkly - is it a shadow, or is she wearing something? Portraits can capture a moment in time, revealing something about the sitter and the artist. I wonder what Kustodiev was thinking when he made this drawing? Artists are always looking at each other's work, trying to solve the same eternal problems and it's this dialogue that fuels creativity across time. We each bring our unique perspectives and experiences to the conversation. Art is never truly finished, it continues to evolve in the minds of those who see it.