Over the Dnipro River 1954

Tetyana Yablonska made this painting, Over the Dnipro River, with oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. There's this soft, dappled light over everything, kind of like when you're half-dreaming, or maybe remembering something from when you were really small. I love the way she layers these muted tones – browns and blues, greys and greens – it all feels so natural. It’s like she’s not trying too hard, but just letting the paint do its thing. I’m drawn to the small child in the blue coat. See how she's given the coat a thick, almost sculpted texture? It's as if the coat has a life of its own, a solid presence in this hazy, dreamlike scene. Yablonska's got this way of balancing on the edge of representation. It reminds me a bit of Vuillard, how he captured those intimate, everyday moments. Art is all about conversations, right? And this painting feels like a quiet, thoughtful murmur in a long, ongoing chat.