Female image. Sketch 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this sketch of a female image with ink on paper at an unknown date. The paper has a beautiful off-white hue that surrounds a simple, sparsely rendered face. It's like the ghost of a drawing. The face is tilted, and we’re looking at it from above, lending the subject a sense of humility and quiet contemplation. The lines are confident, not overworked, and feel economical. Look at the elegant curve of the cheek and the subtle suggestion of the eye socket. I love the blank space inside the lines because it's activated through the viewer's imagination. This reminds me of the drawings of Picasso, but also hints at a more folk-art sensibility in the way the face is presented. It’s a powerful piece, reminding us that simplicity can sometimes say the most.