Lenin 1966

Curator: This is Eugen Schönebeck’s drawing, simply titled "Lenin." Editor: The heavy hatching gives it such a somber, almost haunted quality. It's not the heroic Lenin of propaganda. Curator: No, it's a very human portrayal, especially given Lenin's legacy. Schönebeck, though he later embraced socialist realism, often presented a critical view of authority. Editor: That penetrating gaze, even in profile, seems to carry so much weight. The cap, the suit...they're icons of revolution, distilled. Curator: The artist is subtly undercutting the iconography, suggesting complexities beyond the revolutionary narrative. Editor: It makes you wonder about the man behind the myth, doesn't it? Schönebeck captured a moment of reflection, perhaps doubt, in this revolutionary leader. Curator: Indeed, this work invites us to reconsider not just Lenin, but the power and pitfalls of political imagery itself.