Tatar street in Yalta. Night. 1910

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this painting, Tatar street in Yalta. Night., using oils. He uses the paint to make these short choppy marks, really letting the brush do its thing, not trying to hide the process at all. This is what artmaking is all about, just letting things happen! There’s such a contrast between the dark grays and browns of the buildings and the warm yellows and oranges of the light spilling out from within, like a stage set. Look at how he builds up the textures, with the thick daubs of paint suggesting the rough surfaces of the buildings, and how the quick strokes of the brush capture the flickering light. Those flicks of warm paint bring out the light, almost as if the painting is lit from within. There is a patch of light on the left, it almost seems to glow. Korovin reminds me a bit of Manet, who also was a big fan of painting the everyday world. But what I love about both of them is their ability to find something special in the ordinary. It’s more about feeling than seeing.