Actress Hope Komarovskaya 1919

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this painting, Actress Hope Komarovskaya, with oil paints, and you can really see his love of the medium. It’s all about the brushstrokes, right? They're loose, juicy, and full of life. Look at the way he builds up the form of her red jacket with these thick daubs of paint, each one a slightly different shade, creating this shimmering effect. It feels like he's not just painting what he sees, but how he *feels* about what he sees. And the cool blues of the winter scene outside the window contrast with the warm interior. In fact, that whole window area is really interesting, isn't it? It’s both there and not there, solid and yet ephemeral. Which, to me, is what painting is all about: an illusion built from matter. It reminds me a little of Vuillard, in the way that he’s dissolving form into light and color. It's like he’s saying, "Here's an actress, but really, it's just paint!"