Evening on the pier 1920

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this painting called 'Evening on the Pier,' and, wow, the way he laid down these strokes – it’s like he's wrestling with the scene. I can feel the evening chill, the heavy air before a storm, all conjured up in this compact space with a limited color palette. The houses and sky are built up with thick layers of paint – you can almost feel the push and pull of the brush, the artist changing his mind. The red tree – what’s that about? Maybe Konchalovsky was thinking about what it’s like to stand out, to be different. It reminds me a little of some Fauvist paintings I've seen. A raw, bold application of color which amplifies an emotional feeling for the landscape. All paintings speak to each other across time, and I think this one has plenty to say.