Portrait of G.S. Vereisky 1917

This portrait of G.S. Vereisky, by Boris Kustodiev, looks like it was quickly made in charcoal. The approach to mark making feels immediate, a dash here, a smudge there. I’m really drawn to the way Kustodiev uses the charcoal to define the subject’s face, especially the nose and brow. The lines aren’t precious, they’re almost like shorthand, conveying the essence of the man with minimal fuss. There’s a wonderful tension between the areas of precise detail and the looser, more gestural marks that make up the rest of the composition. It’s like he’s saying, “I see you, but I’m not going to spell everything out for you.” The whole drawing has this unfinished quality, like a jazz solo that fades out before the end. It reminds me a little of Degas, who also used charcoal and pastel in such an inventive way. It makes you wonder what art is, if not just a set of rules or a technique, but a way of seeing and thinking.