In the boat 1915

Konstantin Korovin made "In the boat" with oil paints, and I get the feeling it was alla prima, wet on wet. The way the thick paint smudges together, especially in the water, gives this sensation of movement. It's like he's not just painting a scene, but a feeling, a fleeting moment. I'm drawn to the upper right corner where the leaves blend in shades of green. You can almost feel the dampness of the forest there. This section and the whole work are like a conversation between light and shadow. Korovin reminds me of some of the French Impressionists like Monet in his desire to capture an impression of light on the surface of things. But, ultimately, this is very much his own vision. The painting is not about perfect representation, but about a personal experience of the world, one brushstroke at a time.