Portrait of N.D. Ermakov 1914

Ilya Repin made this portrait of N.D. Ermakov with oil paint, probably over a fair few sittings. Look at the off-whites and creams, soft browns and blacks—the brushwork is lively, but it feels like the image emerged slowly, built up gradually. I wonder what Repin and Ermakov talked about while he was painting? Did Ermakov sit still or fidget? I can imagine the artist, Repin, trying to capture something of his sitter's character, not just his likeness. See how the paint around the edges of the figure seems to dissolve into the background? The red handkerchief on his lapel is a great touch, drawing your eye in. But then the background pulls you away again with its gestural energy. It’s like Repin is not just showing us a man, but also his place in the world. For me, painting is like thinking aloud. One painter inspires the next. We are all standing on each other’s shoulders, having a conversation across time. Every mark, every brushstroke, is part of that dialogue.