Ships 1912

This painting, "Ships" by Konstantin Bogaevsky, feels like it was made with oil paint and a whole lotta patience. Look at the mark-making, that hatching effect – it's pure process, layer upon layer. The colours are rich, almost jewel-like, yet the brushwork is tight and controlled. The paint is applied in thin layers, creating this luminous quality. The sunburst, for example, that explodes across the canvas, is made up of tiny, careful strokes of colour. It’s as if Bogaevsky is trying to capture the very essence of light and atmosphere. Notice how the sea is rendered, with its myriad green and blue striations – each one meticulously placed. This reminds me a little bit of Caspar David Friedrich, that German Romantic painter, but with a slightly more decorative feel. Like Friedrich, Bogaevsky’s painting is an invitation to contemplate the sublime, to lose yourself in the vastness and mystery of the natural world. It's an ongoing conversation with the past, a way of seeing and experiencing the world that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.