Akaky Akakiyevich visiting Petrovich 1905

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing of Akaky Akakiyevich visiting Petrovich with charcoal, maybe even conté crayon. You know, it's interesting how a simple meeting between two guys can become this whole mood with the artist's hand shaping everything in those dark shades. I imagine Kustodiev, bent over the paper, pressing hard, then easing up to let the light peek through. It’s like he’s carving the scene out of the darkness. Look at how he captures the folds of fabric, almost as if the material itself has weight and presence. It reminds me of a rough sketch with a very personal, intimate atmosphere. And then there’s the window, acting as a light source, but also a kind of frame within a frame, suggesting the world outside and whatever hopes or dreams these two might have. It's about the artist's ongoing dialogue with rendering the world around him. Like all artists, Kustodiev is in conversation with the past and present of image-making, and we get to listen in.