Female image 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this pen and ink drawing of a woman at an unknown date. The subject’s gaze is direct and confrontational, but rendered with simple lines. This work could be seen as the product of a Ukrainian artist working within the Soviet Union. Havrylenko was a graphic artist, a field that was often co-opted by the Soviet propaganda machine. However, in this piece, the simplicity of the image could be read as a subversive gesture against the idealized images of Soviet realism, suggesting a quiet form of resistance through its rejection of bombastic and heroic imagery. Perhaps the intensity of her gaze is in defiance of Soviet expectations of women. Understanding the context of Havrylenko’s artistic choices requires research into the constraints and expectations placed on artists working under Soviet rule, as well as the social and political climate of Ukraine during his lifetime. The drawing invites us to reflect on the subtle ways art can negotiate power.