Cucumber Harvesting 1966

'Cucumber Harvesting' by Tetyana Yablonska is a painting that seems to have been made with oil paint on canvas. What strikes me here is the liveliness of Yablonska’s marks, which are daubs, dashes and squiggles of colour. It gives me a sense of the activity of painting as a joyful process. Looking closer, I see that the paint is applied pretty thickly in some areas, especially in the field of green and blue where the figures are picking cucumbers. There's a real physicality to the surface, and the way the colors blend and contrast creates a shimmering effect, like you might see on a hot summer day. I love the way she captured the light filtering through the leaves. It's not about being photorealistic, it's about capturing a feeling, a mood. This piece reminds me a bit of some of the Impressionist painters, like Monet or Renoir, in the way that it captures a sense of light and movement. But it's also very much its own thing, a testament to Yablonska's unique vision and skill. And, like the best paintings, it leaves plenty of room for interpretation, inviting us to bring our own experiences and perspectives to the work.