At a Stream. Poet Sitting on Stones 1921

Oleksa Novakivskyi made this painting of a poet sitting by a stream sometime in the early 20th century, and the way he’s put it together feels so process-driven. The colors are muted, almost monochromatic, which gives it this melancholic vibe. Look at the way the paint is applied: thick, deliberate strokes that create texture and movement. You can almost feel the cool, damp air and hear the rushing water. I love how Novakivskyi doesn’t try to hide his brushstrokes; instead, he embraces them. There's one stroke, right at the poet's shoulder, that seems to define the whole scene. It's like the key to unlocking the painting. It's not just a dab of paint, but an expression of the artist's feeling in that moment. It reminds me of some of Courbet's landscapes, where the materiality of the paint becomes just as important as the subject matter. It’s about seeing the world through the act of painting.