Creek 1902

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin laid down this landscape called 'Creek' with a loaded brush and an eye for the fleeting effects of light. You can almost feel the sun dappling through the leaves. It's pure sensation! Look at how he builds up the surface with these juicy strokes. It’s thick in some places, thin in others, almost like he's sculpting the paint. And the colors! He’s using all these greens and browns and beiges, but then BAM! You get these pops of white where the light hits. Notice that slash of white that hints at the woman. The light is the real subject here, right? He reminds me a little of Manet, actually. That same interest in capturing the feeling of a moment, and also that sense of light creating form. Like Manet, Korovin understood that painting isn’t about capturing a perfect likeness, but about capturing an experience. And, like all great paintings, the more you look, the more it changes!