Portrait of Anna Akhmatova 1946

Martiros Sarian made this portrait of Anna Akhmatova in 1946. I love the raw simplicity of it. You can almost see Sarian’s hand moving across the paper, searching for her likeness. What was it like to sit for a portrait then? I imagine Akhmatova, the great Russian poet, sitting patiently, her gaze internal, as Sarian sketched, trying to capture not just her features but her spirit. The pencil lines are delicate, yet they convey so much strength and depth. Look at the way he’s rendered her necklace with such simple circles, giving it weight and presence. It's like a conversation between artist and subject, each mark a word, each shadow a shared understanding. It reminds me of other portraits I’ve seen by artists like Alice Neel, raw, honest, and full of feeling. This drawing feels alive, like a fleeting moment captured for eternity.