Bastille 1928

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this evocative painting of the Bastille in Paris with oil on canvas. Look closely, and you'll see how the artist uses the fluid properties of oil paint to capture the shimmering reflections on the wet Parisian streets. He's applied the paint in loose, expressive strokes, almost as if he's sketching with color. This technique, typical of Impressionism, allowed Korovin to quickly capture the fleeting moment, the atmosphere of a rainy night in a bustling city. It's a far cry from the meticulous, highly finished style of academic painting. The quick, confident brushwork also speaks to a modern sensibility, mirroring the pace of urban life and the rise of industrial production, in which efficiency and speed are paramount. Korovin seems less interested in depicting every detail and more in conveying the overall impression of movement, light, and energy of this iconic location. Ultimately, this emphasis on process invites us to consider how the act of painting itself shapes our understanding of the subject matter. This challenges conventional ideas about art, and reminds us that it is not just about what is represented, but how it is made.