View of Mar Saba 1935

Konstantin Gorbatov made this watercolour, "View of Mar Saba," with these earthy yellows, browns and creams giving the whole piece a sepia-toned look, like an old photograph. You can really see how the artist built up the image with layers, letting each colour peek through, a real testament to the art-making process itself. Looking closely, the texture is flat and smooth, with thin washes of watercolour allowing the paper to show through. The strokes are loose and gestural, especially in the foreground, with these little figures that look like ants! There are so many expressive marks making up this dramatic landscape. It reminds me a little of Emil Nolde's landscapes, with its use of bright colors and bold brushwork. Both artists shared a passion for capturing the raw beauty of nature, and weren't afraid of a bit of ambiguity.