Military tent Mato 1909

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this watercolour of a military tent. The marks are so gestural, so evocative, like quick notes jotted down in a sketchbook. It reminds me that painting, at its heart, is about process, about capturing a fleeting moment or feeling. Look at the way Korovin uses colour: those muted oranges and blues create a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. The surface is so alive! You can almost feel the roughness of the canvas and the way the paint was dragged across it. See how the dark pillars frame the composition, creating a sense of depth? And those subtle details in the background, like patches of colour, hint at something beyond the tent. It’s as if he’s inviting us to imagine the world outside. Korovin's work reminds me a little of James McNeill Whistler; both artists were interested in capturing fleeting impressions. But unlike Whistler's more refined aesthetic, Korovin's work has a raw, visceral quality that I find so appealing. Ultimately, this painting is an invitation to slow down, to observe, and to let our imaginations wander.