Still life 1947

Pyotr Konchalovsky’s “Still Life”, made with oils sometime in the last century, gives us a glimpse into the everyday – or at least, a painterly, heightened version of it. The browns and yellows, punctuated by the pop of those almost-glowing lemons, feel warm and inviting. I can imagine Konchalovsky setting up this scene, maybe shifting the fruit just so, squinting to get the light right. The way he’s handled the paint is interesting. It’s not overly thick, but you can still feel the brushstrokes, especially in the draped cloth. There's a real sense of looking, I think, like he's really studied the objects, but also a playfulness in how he’s rendered them. I particularly like the bold strokes that make up the large vase, or whatever it is! It’s this push and pull between observation and expression. I can see him working out something about form, about light, about the very act of seeing. Like he’s in conversation with all the still life painters who came before him, riffing on the same themes, but with his own distinct voice. We all inspire each other and influence each other, knowingly or unknowingly.