Tea Room in the old town of Kaunas 1930

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky painted “Tea Room in the old town of Kaunas" using watercolor, gouache, and charcoal, and when I look at it I feel like I’m looking at a stage set. The muted colors and the architectural details, like the vaulted ceiling, create a sense of depth, while the objects scattered around - the guitar, the flowers, the samovar - add a touch of domesticity. I can imagine him sketching this scene, constantly adjusting the composition, layering the watercolors, and smudging the charcoal to achieve a smoky, atmospheric effect. It feels like a memory or a dream. Maybe he was thinking of the old masters, like Chardin, who also found beauty in the everyday. Painting, in this sense, is an act of translation, a way of turning the world into something new, something felt.