Illustrations for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill" 1956

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this illustration for Mikhail Stelmakh's book using ink, probably with a dip pen, a tool that allows for such variety in mark-making and tone. Look at the confidence of the lines as they come together to form the young girl. It is amazing how the character comes alive with such spare means. Just a few strokes, nothing fussy. I wonder what was going through Havrylenko's mind as he placed each line, building up the image, stroke by stroke. The way he's built up the foliage behind her with that wonderful, scratchy texture – he’s really having fun there, isn’t he? You can see the influence of artists like Käthe Kollwitz and Ernst Barlach in the raw emotion and social commentary. It feels so intimate and personal, doesn’t it?