Winter. Thaw. Pskov 1910

Konstantin Gorbatov made this painting of Pskov, in winter, probably with oils. The way he builds up the colours in soft layers, almost like watercolour washes, makes me think of artmaking as a process of feeling things out. The material qualities of the painting are really important. The texture is smooth, like a memory that's been polished over time. The whites aren't just white; they're mixed with blues and yellows, creating a sense of light and depth. Look at the rooftops, how the snow sits heavy, but also seems to drip and melt. It's so evocative. This attention to the material—the thickness of the paint, the way the brushstrokes catch the light—shapes my emotional experience of the piece. Gorbatov's work reminds me a little bit of Childe Hassam, another painter who was great at capturing the light and mood of a particular place. But Gorbatov has a unique voice, one that embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations.