"Untitled V" (1959) by Alexey Glebovich Smirnov is a pen-on-paper drawing that offers a penetrating critique of the tensions within Soviet society during the Khrushchev Thaw. Created during his studies at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute, the work demonstrates a significant departure from the rigid confines of Socialist Realism. It reflects the cautious liberalisation of artistic expression in the late 1950s while grappling with themes of a society caught between technological advancement and human alienation.

The composition centres on an elongated, disjointed face that dominates the paper. Its most compelling feature is the arrangement of three eyes—two positioned closely on the left and one isolated on the right—which creates a deliberate sense of asymmetry and visual imbalance. The face is rendered with precision through uninterrupted, flowing lines, demonstrating a masterful economy of technique. Smirnov's extensive use of negative space heightens the structural quality of the form, while the sharp, angular treatment of the facial features introduces a rhythmic interplay between mechanical rigidity and organic fluidity. These formal elements underscore the drawing's central tension between unity and fragmentation.