Female image. Illustration to Dante's "Vita Nova" 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this illustration to Dante's "Vita Nova" using simple strokes. The whole image is built from these marks, a mesh of tiny lines hatching together. I like to zoom in on the face, which is so interesting - symmetrical and stylized. The long nose and tiny mouth. It’s so flat, and yet the shading gives her form, a quiet sort of presence. The simplicity reminds me of Agnes Martin’s grids. But where Martin is cool and ethereal, this has more folk to it. The way the marks form a landscape in the background, or fall around the figure, gives a sense of intimacy, like she is in a silent conversation with her surroundings. You can see the hand of the artist here, it is so apparent. And that feels very human. It's like he's trying to capture something essential. It reminds me that art can be this ongoing conversation, an exchange of seeing, thinking, and feeling.