Pond 1910

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this painting, Pond, with oil on canvas, and it feels like a moment captured rather than constructed. What strikes me here is Korovin's use of paint, thick in some areas, almost translucent in others. Look at the reddish bank on the right, it is built up with such buttery strokes, you can almost feel the give of the brush. And then notice how this tactile quality gives way to the smooth, dark reflections in the pond. There is a real sense of the materiality of the world here, of weight and substance, but also of the fleeting effects of light. I’m reminded of Impressionists like Monet, who sought to capture the ephemeral qualities of nature, though Korovin brings a certain Russian sensibility to it all. It's like a conversation across time, each artist adding their own accent and inflection. Ultimately, it is up to us to bring our own experiences and insights to this painting and in a way, to finish the conversation.