Still Life with Begonia 1916

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this still life with begonia with oil paints on canvas. The way he’s piled on the paint, it’s like he’s sculpting with colour! Look at the leaves, how they’re not just green, but a mix of greens, reds, and browns, as if the painting is alive and breathing. It really speaks to how art-making is a process, not just a picture. The materiality of the piece is key. The thick, almost aggressive brushstrokes give it a real sense of energy. Notice the way the paint sits on the canvas, the texture adding to the emotional punch. The whole composition, with its vivid colour, reminds me of some of Cezanne’s still lifes. It's like Konchalovsky is in conversation with the greats, adding his own voice to the ongoing dialogue of painting. And isn’t that what art is all about, an open, never-ending conversation?