Still Life. Parma violets. 1933

Pyotr Konchalovsky painted this still life of Parma violets with oil on canvas, sometime during his career. Look closely, and you will see how the colours are layered. Touches of blues and greens create depth and shadow. It’s clear that Konchalovsky wasn't aiming for a photographic representation, but rather an interpretation of what he saw, felt, and remembered. There's an energy and vitality in his brushstrokes. The way he captured the fleeting essence of the violets is great - they almost seem to shimmer. The surface has a pleasing texture, rough in some spots, smooth in others. This tension gives the painting a tactile quality, like you could reach out and touch it. The little white smudges around the base are a playful addition. It reminds me of Matisse and his bold Fauvist experiments, but with a Russian sensibility. I think it's the embrace of imperfection that makes this painting so appealing.