Oriental slave market.Sketch of set for A.Adam`s and C. Pugni`s ballet 1912

Konstantin Korovin made this painting as a set design for a ballet, using paint, probably oil, to capture a bustling marketplace by the sea. It's like he dashed it off, full of energy. The surface is alive with brushstrokes. Look at the way the blues and pinks blend in the sky, a dreamy mix that feels both peaceful and turbulent. You can almost feel the breeze. The paint is applied in short, quick strokes, giving the whole scene a sense of movement, like a snapshot of a fleeting moment. See how the figures are suggested rather than defined, they're just splashes of color. It reminds me a little of Boudin, the way he captures the light on the water. But Korovin brings something else, a theatrical flair. He really gets you thinking about how art is this ongoing conversation, we're always borrowing, stealing, riffing off each other. Art is always a question, not an answer.