Winter Evening 1910

Konstantin Gorbatov made this painting, Winter Evening, with oil on canvas. Look at how the light and color create the feeling of a cold winter's night. Up close, you can see how Gorbatov built up the surface with thick, choppy strokes of paint. The brushstrokes are so physical, it's like he's sculpting the snow and buildings right before your eyes. Notice how the cool blues and purples dominate the palette, punctuated by spots of warm light emanating from the buildings. That single open doorway on the right—it's like a portal, a concentrated burst of red, orange, and yellow. It creates a focal point, a warmth that draws you into the scene. It's similar to what we see in Pissarro’s paintings of urban life, where there’s a sense of everyday experience. The whole scene is rendered with visible brushstrokes, embracing a kind of joyful ambiguity, allowing space for multiple readings.