Southern still life 1946

Pyotr Konchalovsky painted this ‘Southern Still Life’ with oils on canvas; there's no date, but you can feel the hand of a mature artist at work. Look at how Konchalovsky uses paint: it's thick, luscious, and almost edible, like heavy cream. The brushstrokes are visible, confident, and direct, building up the forms of the fruits, vegetables, and vessels with a tangible, sculptural presence. Notice the jug in the middle, how the light glances off one side, how it feels substantial. The texture gives it a real, almost tactile quality. There's something about this painting that reminds me of Cezanne, that same interest in the underlying geometry of everyday objects and the way he applies paint in blocks and strokes. Both artists use the still life as a place to experiment with seeing and painting. It’s a testament to how artists keep having a dialogue with each other, across time. We can see how they share a similar fascination with the sensuous qualities of paint, and its ability to create a world.