Lake Ilmen 1925

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this painting of Lake Ilmen with visible brushstrokes that give the scene a lively, immediate feeling. It’s like he's saying, "Here it is, life happening right now!" I love the texture here, you can almost feel the rough bark of the trees and the gentle lapping of the water against the boats. The blues and greens are so fresh, but there are some muddy browns too that keep it real. Look at the way he's dabbed the paint on the leaves, how the light catches them, suggesting movement and depth, that’s the real skill here. It feels like the moment you notice how a scene is made up of a thousand different colours you can't find in the tube. Konchalovsky reminds me of Cezanne who was also trying to capture the essence of a scene, not just a picture-postcard view. Art is a conversation between artists across time and space and it's up to you to decide what they are saying.