Fruit on a blue tablecloth 1921

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin made this still life of fruit on a blue tablecloth, probably in the first half of the 20th century, and in it the painting has been built up in layers, the brushstrokes almost invisible, the colours muted. I can imagine Petrov-Vodkin, quietly arranging the fruit and a piece of paper on the cloth, thinking about form and light as a means to explore perspective and depth, but at the same time, I can feel the stillness and quietness of the space around him. The fruits are all captured with subtle gradations of colour, each one a world of its own, and they contrast with the deep and rich ultramarine of the cloth. The arrangement is balanced and harmonious, but the artist had to move things around a little at first, until it felt right, right? I love the way painting allows an artist to find a way to be quiet and meditative. And looking at the fruit, I'm reminded of artists like Cezanne and Matisse, who used still life to explore colour, form, and the very act of seeing.