Portrait of Maxim Gorky 1920

Jury Annenkov drew this portrait of Maxim Gorky, probably in ink, and maybe with some kind of crayon or marker. I'm struck by the energy of the marks. The artist seems to have reveled in making the marks themselves! I can imagine Annenkov, caught in the dance of observation and expression, the pen's nib scratching and gliding across the paper. The face! What was Annenkov thinking? How could he capture the essence of Gorky, his intellect, his intensity, in a few strokes? And the placement of that red block, like a burst of political fervor or maybe even a visual scream. It's a powerful move, creating tension between representation and abstraction, between the personal and the political. Annenkov reminds me of other artists like Grosz or Dix, also navigating the complexities of representing figures in tumultuous times. Artists are always talking to each other, you know, across time, inspiring each other. It's a conversation without end.