Paris after Rain 1900

Konstantin Korovin painted Paris after Rain with oils, capturing an atmospheric night scene. The painting features a composition dominated by dark greens and greys, punctuated by muted yellows from street lights and building windows, evoking a melancholic yet serene mood. Korovin's brushstrokes are loose and impressionistic, prioritizing the play of light and reflection over precise detail. The wet street reflects the ambient lights, creating a visual doubling that destabilizes the distinction between the physical and its representation. This technique aligns with broader artistic interests of the time, where artists challenged fixed perspectives and explored the subjective nature of perception. The figure of a lone man adds a semiotic element, perhaps representing the observer or wanderer so common in the urban landscapes of modern art. The painting's formal qualities, therefore, do more than represent a scene; they engage with themes of modernity, perception, and the transient nature of urban life.