At a Noblewoman's, sketch for the ballet 'The Goldfish' by Ludwig Minkus 1903

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this sketch for the ballet 'The Goldfish' with pencil and watercolour on paper. Look at those swooping brushstrokes, like a stage set coming alive before your eyes. You can almost hear the orchestra tuning up. I imagine Korovin, brush in hand, trying to capture the fleeting energy of the ballet in his marks. There's a real sense of theater in this image. I can feel Korovin experimenting with perspective, trying to create depth with a few simple strokes. He’s not just painting what he sees but trying to capture a feeling, an atmosphere. The colors are muted, almost dreamlike, but they hint at the opulence of the scene. It reminds me of Degas' ballet paintings, that same fascination with movement and light. I mean, what is painting if not a conversation across time, with each artist adding their own voice? It's an invitation to dream, to imagine, to let your mind wander through all the possibilities.