Biribi 1907

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin made this artwork, Biribi, with oils on canvas. Just imagine Petrov-Vodkin standing before this canvas, brush in hand, probably outside, squinting at the scene. The muted palette of browns, oranges, and blues feels like sun-bleached earth meeting a hazy sky. Look at those mountains! You can feel the dry heat just by looking at the thick daubs of paint he's using to create those forms. I can see him working, building up the texture, layering the paint to suggest not just what he sees, but what he feels. Notice that dark line that cuts across the foreground, it’s like a shadow, anchoring the whole scene. He reminds me of Cezanne, in the way he is trying to construct space with colour. Ultimately, painting is all about building, isn't it? Building something out of nothing, a world from a tube of pigment. We are all inspired by those that came before us, and hopefully, inspire the artists that follow us.