Artist. Not my fault that your face is crooked! Elizabeth Merkuryevna Boehm (Endaurova) (1843-1914)

Here we observe a young girl engrossed in drawing, seated at what appears to be a makeshift table constructed from stacked boxes or crates. The composition is intimate and focused on her activity; she occupies nearly the entire frame. Her posture suggests intense concentration as she holds a pencil poised over a sheet of paper, which displays a rudimentary sketch – seemingly an attempt at depicting a human face.
The color palette is muted, dominated by earthy tones of brown and pink, lending a sense of domesticity and perhaps even melancholy to the scene. The girl’s dress, rendered in soft pink hues, contrasts slightly with the drabness of her surroundings. Her hair is pulled back from her face, revealing a direct gaze towards her work.
A doll sits perched precariously on the edge of the table, positioned close to the girls head. It appears somewhat damaged or misshapen, and its placement seems almost as an afterthought. The inscription beside the doll reads It’s not my fault that your face is crooked! This text introduces a layer of complexity beyond simple depiction of childhood innocence.
The subtext suggests a narrative of responsibility and perhaps frustration. The girls drawing attempts to capture likeness, but fails; the doll embodies this failure directly. The inscription implies an attempt at deflection – a denial of blame for the imperfection. It could be interpreted as a child’s way of grappling with disappointment or acknowledging limitations in skill while simultaneously avoiding accountability.
The overall effect is one of quiet introspection and understated humor. The artist has captured a fleeting moment of childhood, imbued with a subtle commentary on artistic endeavor, personal responsibility, and the complexities of self-perception. The rough texture of the paper and the somewhat unfinished quality of the drawing contribute to an impression of authenticity and immediacy.