Female image 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this spare image of a woman with what looks like a simple pen or fine brush. Look at the way he reduces her features to a few elegant strokes! It’s all about the essence, right? The line is so crucial here. It's not trying to trick you into thinking it's real; it's more like a map of a face, a suggestion. See how the line describing her cheek doesn't quite meet her chin? It's like he's inviting us to complete the picture. And those eyes, so direct, but just two quick curves. They hold your gaze, don't they? It's amazing how much feeling he gets with so little. This reminds me a little of Matisse’s line drawings, that same sense of distilling form to its purest expression. But Havrylenko has his own thing going on – a kind of quiet intensity. For me, it’s a reminder that art isn't always about filling in all the blanks; sometimes, it's about leaving space for the viewer to bring their own imagination to the table.