Portrait of Z. I. Grzhebin 1919

Jury Annenkov made this portrait of Z. I. Grzhebin with oil paints. The surface is a buzz of marks, almost pointillist, yet it's more about how these small dabs build form. There’s a tension here; the subject feels present, but also like a construct. Look at the planes of the face, the way the light glances off his glasses, the textures created by the layering of tiny brushstrokes. I am really drawn to how Annenkov captured the material qualities of fabric and paper. The tactile quality of the suit contrasts with the smooth transparency of his glasses. To me, this contrast makes the work come alive and makes me think about the haptic qualities of painting, how it engages our sense of touch. It reminds me of Cezanne’s mark-making; he wasn’t trying to represent the world, but instead, reconstruct it with every single stroke. And that makes you think about how we construct our own realities. It’s a conversation between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers, about seeing and being seen.