In Vegetable Garden 1901

Oleksa Novakivskyi made this painting of a vegetable garden, probably in oil, though the exact date is unknown. The whole scene feels like a mosaic of thick strokes, laid down with a real appetite for color and texture. You can almost feel the sun beating down and smell the rich earth. Look at how Novakivskyi builds up the forms – the women in the field, the rows of vegetables – with these visible, energetic marks. The paint is applied so thickly, it’s almost sculptural. The light isn’t blended smoothly, but rather captured in these dabs and dashes of contrasting color. The effect is lively, immediate, and raw. The artist isn't trying to hide the process, but to revel in it. Novakivskyi reminds me a bit of Van Gogh. Both have this commitment to capturing the world as they see it and feel it, using the stuff of paint to make it visible. Ultimately, this piece is a reminder that art isn't just about representation; it's about the messy, beautiful process of seeing and making.