Three women 1902

Filipp Malyavin made this large painting of three women with oil on canvas. This painting is all about the energy of mark-making, those expressive brushstrokes, especially when he lays down the reds and oranges that jump right out at you. Look at the way Malyavin applies the paint; it’s thick, almost sculptural in places, giving the dresses a real sense of volume and movement. I think you can almost feel the texture of the fabric, like you could reach out and touch it. The way Malyavin uses color, so boldly and with such confidence, reminds me a bit of the Fauves. The painting is full of ambiguity and different interpretations, it feels like he’s inviting you to bring your own story to the canvas. It’s a painting that stays with you, offering something new each time you look at it.