Female Image 1967

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this painting, Female Image, with oil on canvas. He’s really working the brush here, with short, choppy strokes like he’s building up the image, bit by bit. It feels like he’s trying to capture something solid and real. Look at how he’s handled the skin tones—all those subtle grays and pinks. It’s not about being flashy, it's about finding beauty in simple things. There is something about the brushwork that gives this portrait an earthy quality, a quiet strength that reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s portraits. Each stroke feels deliberate, like he's really considering every mark. You could say that art is an ongoing conversation, right? With each painting, we're just adding our voice to the mix.