Sheet 'S' from the album 'Ukrainian alphabet' 1917

Heorhiy Narbut made this sheet using ink for the 'Ukrainian alphabet' album. Isn't it beautiful? This scene feels like it has come straight out of a dream. I just love how the cross-hatched lines give texture and depth to the elephant’s skin, suggesting the animal’s immense size and weight. You can almost feel the rough hide beneath your fingertips. I can just imagine the artist, Narbut, carefully considering each stroke, balancing the need for accuracy with the desire for expressive mark-making. What was he thinking as he rendered each tiny detail? Did he feel a connection to this animal, a sense of awe or respect for its power and intelligence? The objects in the image, like the samovar and the chest, add a surreal element, as if we're seeing the world through Narbut's eyes. There's something so appealing about the way artists borrow and learn from one another. It's an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and resisting any fixed meaning.