Бялыницкий Бируля. Лодки. 1913

Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya made this painting of boats, using oil, probably en plein air. The muted colors—mostly blues and greens—create a sense of quietude, but there is something quite strange about the composition. It’s like a memory, or a stage set, with the boats propped up on the shore. Up close, you can see how the paint is applied in short, choppy strokes, almost like a mosaic. There's a real interest in flatness here. The horizon line is barely a whisper. The water and sky almost blend together, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. Look at the boat on the right, it looks like a fragment of an idea, or a ruin from a boat. This piece reminds me of Whistler’s nocturnes, in its subtle harmonies and almost monochromatic palette. Like Whistler, Byalynitsky-Birulya seems less interested in capturing a specific scene than in evoking a mood, capturing a fleeting moment of beauty and stillness. It’s about feeling, not just seeing.