Portrait B.A.Gorin-Goryainov 1926

Boris Kustodiev made this portrait of B.A.Gorin-Goryainov with what looks like charcoal or pencil, and it's all about the dance of light and shadow. The paper is bare in places, letting the white breathe, while other areas are smudged and shaded to build form. I like how the sketchiness gives it a sense of immediacy, like Kustodiev captured a fleeting moment. The lines around the suit and tie are loose, almost like scribbles, but they define the shape. Look closely at the face, and you'll notice how the subtle gradations around the eyes and cheekbones give the man a real presence, a weight. It reminds me a little of some of Matisse’s drawings, how he could get so much with so little. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is often about suggestion rather than description, and about how the conversation between artists keeps evolving.