Bells. Ivan the Great Bell 1915

Aristarkh Lentulov made "Bells. Ivan the Great Bell" with paint on canvas, though we don't know exactly when. I'm imagining him working in a high-ceilinged studio, maybe in Moscow, surrounded by tubes of paint. The painting has this incredible mix of sharp, geometric shapes and soft, dreamy colors. The blues and whites make me think of a hazy morning, while the oranges and yellows burst like sudden sunshine. You can almost hear the bells ringing out from the canvas. It’s like Lentulov is trying to capture the essence of the bell, not just how it looks, but how it feels and sounds. I see echoes of Cubism here, but also a very personal, emotional response to the subject. Artists are always in conversation with each other, picking up ideas, and Lentulov puts his own spin on it, creating something totally unique. I bet he was a cool person. This painting is just the beginning of a much wider, exciting conversation.