Korovin in Gurzuf 2008

Alexander Roitburd made this wonderfully thick oil painting, Korovin in Gurzuf. The painting is a riot of creamy impasto and bold strokes – I bet it was a delight to make. I love the way Roitburd uses short dabs of white and ochre to build up Korovin’s figure, contrasting the solidness of the body against a more frenetic backdrop. You can sense his presence. Just imagine him there, in Gurzuf, with that palette, a cigar in his hand. What was he thinking? Was he thinking about how painting is all about seeing, about the relationship between the artist and the world? It's intriguing to see how artists, like Roitburd, engage with the legacy of those who came before. It's as though they’re in conversation across time, sparking new ways of seeing. Each stroke, each color choice, opens up a space where we get to interpret and feel in our own way.