Portrait of pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky at the piano 1932

Pyotr Konchalovsky painted this portrait of Vladimir Sofronitsky at the piano in 1932. There’s a casualness, but also something very direct about the brushstrokes. It's like Konchalovsky is thinking through the paint, deciding as he goes along. I'm really drawn to the way the light catches the pianist’s face and the keys of the piano, they're almost vibrating. The paint is applied so thickly in places, creating this amazing texture that feels almost sculptural. If you look at the top right corner where the piano lid stands, there's an energy there. It’s so gestural and confident, it makes me think of early de Kooning. This painting feels like a conversation. There are echoes of Impressionism, but there's also something uniquely Konchalovsky about the way he captures the essence of the moment. It’s a reminder that art is always an ongoing dialogue, with artists building on the ideas of those who came before them.