Night rider 1911

David Burliuk made this painting "Night Rider" with oil on canvas, though its date is unknown. Looking at this, I feel like Burliuk was going for something both gutsy and philosophical. There's this crazy energy—a rider, a horse, and a skull. It feels like he's mixing a Cubist style with a darker, more symbolic vibe. Imagine Burliuk, layering on these angular shapes, trying to capture movement, fear, and maybe even a little humor with that skull. The colours are muted, like a dream fading at the edges. The way he's handled the paint, with its almost woven texture, makes me think he was really wrestling with the canvas, trying to pin down something fleeting. It’s wild how artists, across time, keep responding to each other, riffing on ideas, and pushing painting to say something new. Burliuk definitely had something to say.