Academic Hambartsumian Portrait 1977

Petros Malayan made this portrait of Academic Hambartsumian with charcoal on paper. Looking at this drawing, I'm struck by how Malayan uses the charcoal. It’s not just about lines, but about smudging and pressing to build tone. It’s like he’s sculpting with the charcoal, really getting into the physicality of it. You can see the process in the finished work, like he’s thinking through his materials. The way he renders the shadows around the eyes and the cheekbones, you can almost feel the texture of the man’s skin. The heavy charcoal lines of the glasses, in contrast with the softer shading of the face, really bring your attention to the gaze, which is averted to the right, and out of the frame. The drawing reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz’s portrait work. Both artists share a similar interest in the expressive potential of charcoal and the psychological depth of the sitter. But where Kollwitz's subjects are worn and weathered, Malayan's sitter is pensive and refined. Like all great portraiture, it’s not just about capturing a likeness, but about capturing something of the person’s inner life.