La Porte Saint Denis 

Konstantin Korovin painted "La Porte Saint Denis" with oil on canvas, likely during one of his visits to Paris. The visible brushstrokes demonstrate an active engagement with the material qualities of paint, manipulating its viscosity to convey the wetness of the Parisian street. The thick application of paint captures the vibrant atmosphere of a bustling city at night. Korovin uses the materiality of oil paint to blend the lines between representation and abstraction, which was innovative at that time. The painting's surface reflects the dynamism of urban life. The act of painting, which is often seen as an intellectual pursuit, is here grounded in the physical handling of materials. This brings into question the traditional separation of artistic labor from other forms of work, emphasizing the artist's hands-on engagement with their medium. Appreciating the materials and processes used in art helps us move beyond traditional notions of fine art and craft.