Moonlight 1896

Ilya Repin created this landscape, Moonlight, using oil paints and brushes. Looking at the surface, it's clear Repin wasn’t after photographic realism; instead, he used the material qualities of paint to evoke a mood. You can see the marks of the brushstrokes, applied with varying degrees of pressure and direction to suggest the play of light on the water's surface. The impasto technique, where the paint is laid on thickly, enhances the texture, making the moonlight almost palpable. Oil paint has a long and storied history, valued for its versatility and depth of color. But what's often overlooked is the labor involved in its production: the grinding of pigments, the refining of oils. Considering this, it is important to question whether Repin was trying to capture the fleeting beauty of a moonlit night, or comment on the social conditions that enabled its creation, blurring the boundaries between craft and fine art.