In the south of France 1908

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin painted 'In the South of France' with what looks like oil paint in a flurry of brushstrokes. You can almost feel the speed and energy he put into each mark. It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but also how he feels about being there, in that moment. The colors are all muted greens and blues, with a little off-white for the building. The paint is laid on thick, you can almost see the individual strokes, the texture, the sheer physicality of the medium. Look at the way the leaves are suggested with these bold, choppy marks. Each stroke is like a decision, a little "yes" to the painting. Korovin reminds me of Van Gogh, especially in his use of color and expressive brushwork. But there is something uniquely Russian about this scene, a kind of melancholy mixed with the bright, sunny landscape. Ultimately, like all great paintings, it asks more questions than it answers.