Rocky seashore 1926

This landscape, Rocky seashore, was drawn by Konstantin Bogaevsky using graphite. Look at the sky, made up of these tiny, soft, almost nervous marks. It’s like he’s trying to capture the atmosphere itself. And the rocks, they have this solid, sculptural presence, but they’re also dissolving into the light. I’m drawn to the way Bogaevsky uses the graphite to create texture. The rocks are rough and jagged, but then the water is so smooth and still. It's almost like he is feeling the landscape, translating what is under his fingertips into marks on the page. Notice the way he uses dark and light to create depth. The contrast is subtle, but it’s what makes the scene feel so alive. Bogaevsky reminds me of Caspar David Friedrich, both artists were interested in the sublime power of nature. But where Friedrich is romantic, Bogaevsky is more…meditative? It’s like he is inviting us to slow down and really see the world around us.