Portrait of Nikolai Evreinov 1915

Ilya Repin made this portrait of Nikolai Evreinov in oil, and looking at it, it feels like a conversation. Like a conversation that Repin had with himself about Evreinov, about paint, about seeing. See how the brushstrokes kind of dance across the canvas? They’re not trying to hide, they’re part of the show. There’s this great tension between the darks and lights, like the shadows are trying to swallow him whole, but the light keeps pulling him back. The way Repin layers the paint, especially around the face, it’s like he’s building up a character, not just a likeness. It’s thick in places, almost sculptural, then thin and transparent in others. And that one little dab of white on the pocket? It’s like a tiny spotlight, drawing your eye in, making you wonder what Evreinov was really thinking. It reminds me a bit of Manet, how he could capture a whole mood with just a few strokes. It’s like Repin is saying, "Here’s a man, but also, here’s paint, here’s feeling, here’s a question." And that’s what keeps me coming back.