F.V. Dubasov 1906

This is Boris Kustodiev's portrait of F.V. Dubasov, made without a date. The stark contrast of black and white makes me think of printmaking, like a woodcut or linocut, where the artist carves away at the surface. Looking at this image, I wonder about Kustodiev's process. What was he thinking as he exaggerated Dubasov's features? Did he approach the work with reverence, or was there a bit of mischief in his eye? The graphic quality, the simplification of form, it reminds me of some political cartoons. I'm drawn to the way Kustodiev uses the starkness of the medium to emphasize Dubasov's features, almost like a caricature, but not quite. It's as if he's capturing not just a likeness, but a commentary on power and authority. The artist and the artwork are engaged in a conversation about the subject, making it a space of inquiry for us too.