Female image 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this female image with what looks like black ink on paper. It's a study in spare lines, isn't it? I imagine Havrylenko hunched over the paper, feeling his way around the face with his pen. The continuous line that travels from the forehead down around the side of the face and under the chin feels almost tentative, like a caress. It reminds me a little of Matisse's line drawings. The marks are so economical but somehow full of information and feeling. It's like he's captured an essence, a fleeting impression. There's a real grace and sensitivity in those simple gestures. And in the end, that's what art's all about - one artist speaking to another across time, inspiring each other to see and feel a little deeper.