Portrait of D. Kardovsky 1921

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing of D. Kardovsky sometime in the early 20th century, likely with charcoal and chalk. Look at how the tones softly emerge from the off-white paper, giving shape to the face and beard. I can imagine Kustodiev carefully building the portrait, line by line, shadow by shadow. What was he thinking about as he looked at his sitter? Was he trying to capture Kardovsky's likeness, or something deeper? See the delicate pink dusting the cheek. A similar color accents the ear. Little touches like these animate the image. The drawing feels modern and classic at the same time. The sensitivity to light and shadow reminds me of other artists working at the time, like Käthe Kollwitz. Artists are always looking at each other, aren’t they? Borrowing, riffing, and responding across time. And when we look at art, we enter into that conversation, bringing our own perspectives to the mix.