Portrait of Albert Koslow 

David Burliuk painted this portrait of Albert Koslow with oil on canvas. The painting strikes you with its vibrant, almost agitated surface. Burliuk uses visible, energetic brushstrokes, creating a textured and dynamic composition. The colour palette centres around blues and reds, lending the piece an intense visual presence. The background swirls with small strokes of blue and hints of red. The portrait disrupts traditional portraiture by emphasizing the materiality of the paint and the act of painting itself. Burliuk's technique, with its bold strokes and vivid colours, relates to the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. The visible brushwork rejects the illusionistic smoothness of academic painting, reflecting a shift toward emphasizing the artist's process and the medium's inherent qualities. This approach resonates with structuralist ideas, where the artwork's structure and materials are as important as its subject. Notice the intense use of texture and colour, pushing beyond mere representation towards a deeper engagement with the painting’s physical presence. This reflects a broader move in modern art towards exploring art’s self-referential qualities.