Autumn Landscape with Birches 1924

Konstantin Gorbatov made this painting of birches in an autumn landscape with oil on canvas, but the date is unknown. I love the thick strokes of blues and greens, they give the scene such a vibrant, almost restless energy. The surface is wonderfully textured; you can almost feel the impasto. Look closely, and you’ll see how Gorbatov applied the paint in short, deliberate dashes, building up layers of color to create a shimmering effect. See how the blues of the sky seem to reflect in the water, while the yellows and oranges of the trees pop against the cooler tones? It reminds me of some of Van Gogh’s landscapes, in the way that the brushstrokes seem to dance across the canvas. It feels like a fleeting moment captured in paint, an ode to the beauty of nature and the changing seasons. For me, it’s a reminder that art is not just about representation, but about feeling, about capturing the essence of a moment in time.