Portrait of the Writer B.Antonenko Davydovich 1963

Alla Horska created this portrait of the writer B. Antonenko Davydovich using brush and ink, a fitting combination for a writer’s likeness. I can almost see her, Horska, leaning over the paper, the brush dancing in her hand, sometimes delicate, other times bold. Look at the way she uses light and shadow – not to create a realistic likeness but to convey something deeper, something about the writer’s inner world. It’s all there in the blacks, whites, and grays: the weight of the head in his hand, the determined line of the brow, the fist clenched above as if holding an idea. It’s more than just a portrait; it’s a feeling. You can tell Horska was really thinking about what it means to be a writer, and about this writer in particular. And in the end, that’s what all artists do, isn’t it? We look at each other, we respond, we keep the conversation going.