White Nights 1922

Dobuzhinsky made this ink drawing, White Nights, in 1922, and it’s so process-oriented. You can just tell he’s really thinking through the making of the image as he’s actually making it. The ink is so dark and velvety, like a shadow has been cast over the scene, even though it’s called "White Nights". It reminds me of an etching, actually, the way the lines are so clear and economical. I love the way the surface of the water is captured, all these little hatch marks, like tiny commas. Look at the clouds! They’re so soft and billowy compared to the stark geometry of the buildings. There’s such a beautiful contrast between the organic and the man-made. And down in the bottom right corner, see that little tuft of grass next to the bollard? It’s like a tiny gesture of resistance against all that hard, urban landscape. The work reminds me of Piranesi’s architectural prints but Dobuzhinsky’s take is much more human somehow. Art’s just an ongoing conversation, right? Always referencing, always riffing.