Flying Carpet 1937

Georgi Mashev made this painting, Flying Carpet, with oil on canvas, and right away you see it's about capturing a feeling, a moment of transport, rather than some perfect depiction. I love how the strokes of paint swirl around the figure, kind of lifting her up, blending the real with the dreamlike. The colors are muted, mostly grays and yellows, but then that pop of red from the carpet – it's like a grounded energy, a launchpad for the imagination. Look closely at the way Mashev handles the paint. It's thick in places, almost sculptural, like he's building the form, not just painting it. Then other areas are thinner, more transparent, letting the light come through. It reminds me a bit of late period of work by someone like Bonnard, where the painting becomes about the act of seeing and feeling, rather than just representing. It’s not just a painting, it's a feeling, a memory, a possibility.