Old city in Kaunas 1930

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky made this cityscape, Old City in Kaunas, using ink on paper. The stark contrast of black ink against the white paper immediately captures our attention. Notice how the composition is structured by the repetitive vertical lines of a wooden fence in the foreground. These lines create a screen, partially obscuring our view of the architectural landscape beyond. Dobuzhinsky manipulates perspective, flattening the space and emphasizing the geometric forms of the buildings. The churches, with their crosses and spires, punctuate the skyline, acting as signifiers of cultural and historical identity. This strategic use of architectural elements can be interpreted through a semiotic lens, where each structure functions as a sign, contributing to a broader narrative about place and memory. Ultimately, it is the formal tension between the detailed foreground and the somewhat obscured background that invites us to contemplate the relationship between observer and observed, memory and reality.