Scene 5 (plate, folio 18) from The Dream of Abu-Said and Wind
Ilya Kabakov
American, born Russia. 1933–2023
1957-1990
A small color linoleum cut with blue and black pencil additions that portrays a solitary, nearly frontal nude standing beneath a lamp—an intimate, dreamlike vignette from Kabakov’s narrative series.
The eye is arrested by the flat, simplified body traced in heavy black outlines and the luminous blue teardrop hanging from the lamp above, whose quiet absurdity is amplified by the pale paper and the large gray mounting around it.
Part of Kabakov’s illustrated projects, this work exemplifies late Soviet conceptual art’s turn to personal allegory and storytelling, showing how modest, book-scale images could carry psychological depth, irony, and a veiled critique of constrained everyday life.
Medium
Linoleum cut, printed in color, with blue and black pencil additions
Dimensions
irreg. composition 7 x 4 7/8" (17.8 x 12.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Emilia Kanevsky and the artist
Accession
289.1991.5
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
