Crimea. Batiliman 1940

Ivan Bilibin made this scene in Crimea using watercolor, capturing the landscape as a process of light meeting form. The palette is really interesting; muted earth tones give way to the stark, almost bleached-out mountain face, it's not quite realism, but it really captures the feeling of being there. Look at the way he renders the trees, each branch meticulously defined. It's almost like a drawing, but with the soft wash of watercolor adding a layer of atmosphere. The shadows, too, are carefully placed, giving depth to the foreground. The surface is relatively smooth, allowing the details to shine through. It reminds me a bit of some of the early landscape painters, maybe even a touch of the Hudson River School guys, but with a uniquely Russian sensibility. It's like he's trying to capture not just the look of the place, but the very essence of it. Bilibin makes you feel as if you are walking along the landscape yourself, thinking about the land and the people who came before.