Adrian Ghenie’s small-scale painting The Moth (2010) is a portrait of Joseph Stalin in which the Communist leader is obstructed by the painting's titular insect. Although a heavy application of paint with a palette knife in purple hues disfigures Stalin, he remains identifiable by his hair, mustache, and collar. Ghenie was born in Baia Mare, Romania, in 1977 during a repressive chapter of the country’s history under Nicolae Ceauşescu. His paintings often depict Soviet era leaders or their constituents in darkened environments, resulting in haunting portraits that acknowledge human atrocities during their tenure.