Female Image. From the series 'Search for Pushkin's Female Images' 1970

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this drawing, Female Image, as part of a series of illustrations. I can almost feel the scratching of the pen across the surface. Look at the systematic hatching technique, covering every inch of the background and the sitter’s dress. What emerges is a delicate, detailed portrait of a woman with long hair. I can imagine Havrylenko, hunched over his desk, carefully building up the image one line at a time. Maybe he was thinking about Pushkin's poems as he worked, trying to capture the essence of the characters in his mind. Or was he was thinking about an actual woman from his life? The way the lines follow the contours of her face and body gives her form a real sense of depth and volume. I wonder if Havrylenko was influenced by the printmakers like Dürer. Artists are always looking at each other's work, stealing ideas, and pushing things in new directions. They are in an ongoing conversation across time. Ultimately, this image invites us to contemplate the relationship between art, literature, and lived experience.