Landscape with a flowerbed 1906

David Burliuk made this painting of a garden, likely en plein air, sometime in the early 20th century. He uses a choppy brushstroke and a high key palette to convey a real sense of light and atmosphere, all made in service of capturing a fleeting moment. The painting’s surface is thick with oil paint, each stroke a small, deliberate mark. Look at the lower left corner, where the grass meets the path. Burliuk uses short, staccato strokes of green and yellow to build up a sense of texture and depth. The paint is applied opaquely, and it’s clear he used a small brush, maybe even a palette knife, to create these tiny marks. These strokes animate the surface, giving it a life and energy of its own, as if the garden itself is breathing. Burliuk’s contemporary, Van Gogh, comes to mind when viewing this painting, particularly in the way both artists use the materiality of paint to evoke emotion. Both artists seem to invite us to slow down and savor the simple joys of life.