Ivan the Terrible 1903

Andrei Ryabushkin made this oil painting, Ivan the Terrible, with a murky palette that feels kind of appropriate. It’s all about the brushstrokes, loose and drippy, like he’s really feeling it, you know? The texture gets me; look at that impasto. You can practically see how Ryabushkin built up the layers, especially around Ivan’s face. There’s this heavy darkness surrounding the characters, but then those highlights of yellow and red in the robes pop out – they’re almost glowing. Then, there’s that wild-haired figure pointing, like some kind of apparition. The energy in that gesture alone speaks volumes! Ryabushkin reminds me of some of those earlier history painters, like Delacroix, who really knew how to amp up the drama. It's like he’s saying, “History’s a mess, and art should be too.” It’s not about clean answers. It’s about wrestling with the past and finding new ways to see it.