Balcony in the Crimea 1910

Konstantin Korovin made this painting, "Balcony in the Crimea," with oil paint on canvas. Korovin’s painting has a sketch-like quality, created through the process of applying loose brushstrokes of oil paint. It emphasizes the artist's direct experience of the subject, rather than precise representation. You can see how the visible brushstrokes create texture and depth, giving the impression of light filtering through the open doorway and reflecting off the sea in the background. The painting process itself becomes part of the subject, recording the artist’s fleeting impressions. Korovin's technique reflects broader trends in art history, in which artists were no longer trying to represent historical or mythological scenes. Instead, they focused on everyday moments and how these could be captured in a unique style. Thinking about the materials and making in a painting like this helps us to understand its historical importance, and challenges traditional distinctions between academic and impressionistic approaches to painting.