White Nights 1922

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky made "White Nights" with ink on paper, and right away you can see that he's not messing around with color; he's diving deep into the mood, using black and white to amplify the emotion of the scene. The cross hatching creates volume in the buildings, it’s so smart how he creates the illusion of light with just the absence of ink. I love how tactile the whole image feels, even though it's just ink on paper. You can practically feel the slick cobblestones under your feet, and the rain coming down in sheets. It's like Dobuzhinsky is saying, "Hey, let's get real about what it feels like to be alive in this moment." The lone figure adds a whole other layer of intrigue; it's so quiet and still, and just a little lonely. It puts me in mind of Piranesi, but with more heart. Both artists depict imaginary architectures, but Piranesi is often dry and academic, whereas Dobuzhinsky is wet with emotion, and embraces uncertainty.