Illustration to Leo Tolstoy's "Hadji-Murat" 1913

This illustration to Leo Tolstoy's "Hadji-Murat" by Eugene Lanceray is all about capturing a moment, a feeling, with these rapid, almost scribbled marks. There's a real sense of immediacy, like he's trying to catch the light flickering across the scene. The painting feels like it’s built from layers of color. Look at how the golds and yellows seem to glow from underneath, giving the whole piece a kind of warm, hazy atmosphere. It's as if Lanceray is less interested in precise details and more in the overall impression, the energy of the crowd. I keep getting drawn to the figure in the white Cossack hat on the right; the way Lanceray uses small dashes of paint to suggest texture and form, it reminds me a bit of Manet's ability to create something solid out of almost nothing. There’s a looseness here, a willingness to let the painting breathe that makes you want to linger and get lost in the crowd.