Клин. Дом П.И. Чайковского. Этюд. 1942

Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya made this painting, “Kлин. Дом П.И. Чайковского. Этюд.”, at an unknown date, with brushes and oil paint. It’s all greens and browns and the reddish-brown hue of the house peeking through. I wonder, when Byalynitsky-Birulya stood there, painting, was he thinking about how Tchaikovsky composed? It’s like he has painted a stage set, ready for the music. I like the way the trees are painted, they're like upright brushstrokes, like marks. The way the green paint sits on top of the brown makes you feel the rough texture. I can sense Byalynitsky-Birulya’s hand moving, building up the layers, responding to the light, trying to capture that moment. It’s like the painting itself is a kind of score, capturing the rhythm of the landscape. Painters like Byalynitsky-Birulya are in constant conversation with each other, riffing on themes, and ways of seeing. Painting can show us the world in so many different ways, and each one helps us to see a little bit more.