Rally in front of the Palace of Fine Arts 1920

Mstislav Dubuzhinsky made this sketch of a rally in front of the Palace of Fine Arts with ink and watercolour and a whole lot of feeling. It looks like the ink went down first to map out this crazy building, and the crowd scene. I can imagine him there, trying to get it all down quickly, trying to capture the energy of the moment, but also the weight of the architecture. He’s using the watercolor like a wash to flood and stain certain areas, but also allowing the white of the paper to create contrast. I love the flags, how they give a sense of movement and direction, like arrows. It makes me think of other artists like Grosz and Heartfield, who used art to express their political views during times of social upheaval. For me, this piece is an example of how artists respond to their environment and try to make sense of the world through their work, contributing to a larger conversation that spans history.