Winter sun 1919

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this unnamed oil painting, also known as ‘Winter Sun,’ at an unknown date. The first thing that strikes me is the feeling of light and the incredible, almost slapdash brushwork. Korovin wasn't trying to hide anything; he was more interested in capturing a mood, a fleeting moment of sunlight in a room. The texture is amazing – you can practically feel the impasto, the thick globs of paint he applied with such confidence. Look closely at the lower left of the canvas where the black strokes create the leg of a chair. I love how they are so bold, raw, and unblended. It is so confident, loose, and gestural. The whole painting feels like a sketch, an exercise in capturing light and form with a kind of joyful abandon. It reminds me a little of Manet, or maybe even some of the early Fauves with their bright colors and disregard for traditional form. It's a painting that celebrates the act of seeing and the pure pleasure of putting paint on canvas.