Crimson time 1918

Arkady Rylov made this painting called Crimson Time, and I love the way he's layered the colors here to create a feeling of depth and warmth. It's like he's building the scene one brushstroke at a time. The physicality of this painting really grabs me. Look at the way the light hits those trees in the foreground. See how the paint is applied in these short, choppy strokes? It’s almost like Rylov is sculpting with the paint, giving the leaves a real sense of texture. And then, in the background, everything gets softer, more atmospheric. It’s a simple scene, but the way he handles the paint makes it sing. Rylov, who studied with Arkhip Kuindzhi, created paintings that often celebrated the beauty of the Russian landscape. Like many landscape painters, he reminds me that art isn't just about what we see, but how we feel and interpret it.