Admission to the Komsomol (1st version) 1949

Sergiy Grigoriev must have used oils to create this staged moment, this “Admission to the Komsomol”. Just imagine him layering those peaches and reds, trying to capture the gravity of the situation. I can almost feel the weight of that red tablecloth, a heavy symbol in this scene. It’s like a stage, right? Everyone's got their part to play. The young woman in brown looks like she's about to either ace the test or crumble under the pressure. It reminds me of when I’m in the studio and trying to get a painting just right. Sometimes it feels like everyone's watching. But hey, that bust of what looks like Stalin in the background! That's a bit like when you're painting and the ghost of all the painters you admire are watching over your shoulder! Ultimately, art, like life, is all about trying things out, messing up, and learning as we go, right?