Mermaids 1885

Konstantin Makovsky created this painting, called "Mermaids," using oil paint, a material that allows for the lush depiction of skin and fabric. Oil paint, mixed in varying proportions, gives different textures, capturing the soft moonlight, the subtle movement of water, and the dense thicket of trees in the background. The artist's labor is quite evident: see the many small brushstrokes around the figures, and the impasto technique, where the paint is laid on so thickly that it stands out from the surface. This emphasis on the handmade, the personal touch, separates it from the world of factory production. Makovsky’s painting is rooted in folk culture, in the realm of the handmade, celebrating labor and process. It challenges the distinction between fine art and craft.