Red Apples on Pink Tablecloth 1920

Igor Grabar conjured this little mountain of fruit on a pink tablecloth with oil paint, the exact date is unknown. Imagine him, brush in hand, circling around these apples, laying down strokes of red and green, building up volume with each dab. The paint is applied with a kind of stippled touch, almost pointillist, but looser, more intuitive. Look at how the pink of the tablecloth seeps into the shadows of the apples, unifying the composition. I wonder if he was thinking about Cezanne when he painted this? There's a similar interest in form and color, but Grabar brings a certain lightness, a sweetness to the scene. That cluster of green apples nestled among the red ones is especially appealing, a little rebellion against the dominant hue. It's a simple subject, but the way he handles the paint elevates it, offering a moment of beauty and contemplation. And that’s what painting does; we are all in conversation, after all!