Portrait of the Film Director S. Khodzhikov

Description

Author: Leontiyev, Leonid. 1913-1983
A portrait of Sultan-Akhmet Khodzhikov, director of the cinematic epic Kyz-Jibek (1970). The lower register of the canvas features a close-up depiction of the sitter with his gaze turned to the right; a grey-green suit with a white collar, restrained facial modeling, and a composed expression convey a profound psychological presence. The upper plane, set against a light background of sand dunes, is occupied by generalized profile silhouettes of young women in white kimesheks (traditional Kazakh headwear), evoking the poetic imagery of the film. Stylized lettering of the original title, “Қыз Жібек,” is integrated into the central plane. The work synthesizes the traditions of the Leningrad Academic School of Painting with national iconography, while merging portraiture with symbolic-narrative elements to elevate the piece into the complex genre of a thematic portrait-picture.