Breads and the tray 1912

Pyotr Konchalovsky’s still life "Breads and the Tray" looks like it was constructed with thick brushstrokes and a palette of earthy greens, ochres, and pops of warm oranges. You can almost feel the impasto beneath your fingers! I imagine Konchalovsky wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture the simple beauty of these everyday objects. The tray with a landscape painted on its surface is a painting within a painting, which is a bit of a meta move. I wonder if he was also influenced by Cézanne and the French modernists who were all painting still lifes at the time. The composition is so carefully arranged, yet it feels spontaneous. Look at how he's rendered the light on the loaves, and how that silvery tray almost glows against the background. To me, each brushstroke feels intentional, each color carefully chosen to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort. Konchalovsky is in a conversation with all the artists who ever painted, responding, reacting, and adding his own voice to the mix. It’s all about that ongoing exchange of ideas and inspiration!