Flower Garden. Caucasus 1908

Here's "Flower Garden. Caucasus," made by Arkhyp Kuindzhi, and you can really see the brushstrokes, they're so present. It's like he was having a conversation with the canvas, each mark a little murmur in their dialogue. I imagine Kuindzhi out there in the Caucasus, trying to capture the light just so. It's a scene of near darkness, save for where the white flowers leap out. They might be rhododendrons, I am not sure. What I do know, is that Kuindzhi's paint is laid on with confidence and a lot of it. Look at the surface; he isn't trying to hide the gesture. Every dab feels intentional, decisive. It reminds me of Corot, maybe, but with a bit more…oomph. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I saw, and here's how I felt about it," all in one go. And that's what painting is all about, isn't it? A shared experience, a moment frozen in time, inviting us to join the conversation.