Robotník – Štúdia hlavy 1940s

Cyprián Majerník made this study of a head, Robotník – Štúdia hlavy, using what looks like charcoal on paper. There’s a real gentleness in the way Majerník coaxes the shadows out of the light. See how the charcoal softly graduates around the eye socket and cheekbone? It’s like he’s feeling his way around the contours of the face, letting the material guide him. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the image, those little flecks of white peeking through the charcoal haze. That kind of mark-making is all about process; it's about the journey as much as the destination. The dark smudges under the neck are really interesting, they remind me a little of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who knew how to make charcoal sing. Both artists understand that art isn’t just about representation – it's about feeling, about conveying something deeper than just what’s on the surface. It’s like they’re saying, "Here, feel this too."