Paris. Azaleas in a pot. 1908

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this painting, Azaleas in a Pot, using oil on canvas. Looking closely, we can see the way the oil paint is applied thickly, almost sculpted onto the canvas. This is called impasto, and gives the surface a tangible, three-dimensional quality. Notice how the texture and the thickness of the paint captures the light, bringing a vibrancy to the still life. But it’s not only the light that is captured here, it is labor, as well. Oil painting has long been a tradition associated with the upper classes, who had the space and time to enjoy the beauty and prestige that painting offered. By drawing attention to the sheer materiality of paint and the physical act of applying it, Konchalovsky invites us to consider the value of the processes through which art is created. He asks that we appreciate the work and cultural history behind it, thereby dissolving any distinctions between fine art and craft.