Mykhailivske 1965

This watercolor painting, Mykhailivske, was created by Hryhorii Havrylenko, although we don't know exactly when. Havrylenko worked in a tradition of landscape painting, but with a real twist: like many artists in the Soviet Union, he was forced to work within socialist realism. Here, the artist engages with readily available, inexpensive art materials. But it's the way he handles watercolor that is striking. With a limited palette, Havrylenko evokes the atmosphere of this outdoor scene. He builds up the painting’s surface by layering semi-transparent washes of pigment, manipulating the tonal qualities of the pigments, their lightness or darkness, to give the impression of light filtering through the trees. The work is not just a picture, but also a record of the artist’s process. The fluid character of watercolor allows for expressive effects and a sense of immediacy. By emphasizing his handling of materials, Havrylenko pushes against the strictures of Soviet art, investing it with a subtly personal touch.