Autumn 1917

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin painted 'Autumn' with oils, and looking at it I see a real love for the stuff itself. The paint here is applied alla prima, wet on wet, like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment. Check out the leaves on the ground – they're built up with these little dabs and dashes of color, creating this optical buzz, like the whole scene is shimmering. It's not about making a perfect representation of autumn; it's more like he's trying to get at the feeling of it, the way the light hits the leaves, the crispness in the air. There's a real sense of joy in the process. You can almost see him out there with his brushes and easel, just trying to keep up with the changing light. Think about Manet, who was also capturing modern life in a similar way, with loose brushwork and a focus on light and color.