Leningrad. Summer garden in winter. 1929

Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva made this impression of Leningrad's Summer Garden in winter sometime in the early 20th century. The palette is so muted, almost a whisper, but the color choices are quite bold. I love how she uses a kind of pale blue-gray for the snow, which gives it a feeling of cold, but also a strange kind of warmth. The grainy texture of the printmaking is really delicious, it’s not trying to be smooth or perfect, it’s got a handmade quality that lets you see the work in it. There’s a bridge in the middle ground and the way it dissolves into the background feels like a memory, hazy and dreamlike. And then there's this building, peeking through the trees with this almost peach glow, it feels solid and present. Thinking about other artists, maybe someone like James McNeill Whistler, who was also exploring atmosphere and mood in his paintings. It's like they’re both having a conversation about how much you can suggest with just a few simple marks. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to shout, sometimes it can whisper and still be powerful.