Violinist 1918

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this drawing of a Violinist at some point during his career, using what looks like charcoal or pencil on paper. It's all about the directness of the mark, that rough and ready way of making lines. Look how he uses hatching to describe the dark areas. The rapid marks give it a real sense of energy and movement. The surface isn't concealed or obscured, but laid bare. You can almost feel the artist working, caught up in the act of drawing. Notice the violinist’s expression, the stern glare, almost like he's daring you to say something about his playing. It kind of reminds me of some of the early expressionist drawings by someone like Kirchner or Heckel. You know, that same kind of raw, unvarnished quality. It’s like a conversation between artists across time, each one riffing on ideas and pushing things in new directions. Because in art, there are never any easy answers, only more questions.