Still Life. Peaches. 1919

Pyotr Konchalovsky painted "Still Life. Peaches" with oil on canvas, and you can see the process right there on the surface. It’s like he was wrestling with the paint, trying to capture the light and heft of these ripe peaches. Look at the way he’s built up the surface. The colours feel juicy, but the paint is applied in these sturdy, almost architectural strokes. There’s a real physicality to it; you can practically feel the weight of his hand moving across the canvas. I keep coming back to the peaches scattered in front of the basket, particularly the one on the left. It’s like a little sun, radiating warmth with its pink and yellow tones. It reminds me of Cezanne, but with a Russian soul. Like he’s saying, "Yes, it’s a still life, but it’s also a battle of wills, a conversation between artist and object." That’s what makes it so alive.