defect. 1915 Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)

The work presents a frontal portrait of a young child, rendered in a style characterized by expressive distortion and fragmented forms. The subjects face dominates the composition, filling nearly the entire frame. A palette of muted earth tones – ochres, browns, and grays – is punctuated by flashes of blue and green, contributing to an overall sense of unease and emotional complexity.
The artist employed a technique that prioritizes conveying feeling over precise representation. Facial features are simplified and somewhat abstracted; the eyes, large and dark, possess a directness that is unsettling. The mouth appears small and slightly downturned, suggesting vulnerability or perhaps suppressed distress. The skin tones are not realistically depicted but rather constructed from layers of color, creating a textured surface that seems to vibrate with an internal energy.
Surrounding the childs head is a chaotic network of lines and brushstrokes. These markings appear almost as if they were hastily applied, disrupting any sense of spatial coherence. They function less as descriptive elements than as visual echoes of the subject’s emotional state – a manifestation of inner turmoil or psychological fragmentation. The blue-green hues within these surrounding marks introduce a cool counterpoint to the warmth of the childs skin tones, further amplifying the feeling of disquiet.
The composition suggests a deliberate rejection of traditional portraiture conventions. There is no attempt at idealization or sentimentality; instead, we are confronted with an unflinching depiction of a young person seemingly burdened by unseen anxieties. The title, defect, implies a sense of brokenness or imperfection, which resonates with the distorted forms and unsettling gaze of the subject. It invites consideration of themes such as vulnerability, trauma, and the fragility of innocence – particularly poignant given the historical context of its creation (1915), likely reflecting the anxieties and disruptions of wartime experience. The work’s power lies in its ability to evoke a profound sense of empathy while simultaneously unsettling the viewer with its raw emotional intensity.