Night at Patriarch's Ponds 1928

Aristarkh Lentulov made this painting, "Night at Patriarch's Ponds," with a real gusto for color and the tactile quality of paint, like he's building the scene out of thick daubs of pigment. The way the paint is applied, it’s almost like you could reach out and touch the texture of the snow, feel the coldness radiating off the canvas. See how he layers blues and whites, capturing the way the light reflects off the snow-covered roofs? It reminds me of Van Gogh, in the way that each brushstroke is so present, so full of energy. The yellow glow of the windows is a warm contrast to the coolness of the snow. It's like he's inviting you into this world, a world that feels both familiar and dreamlike at the same time. This reminds me of some of Lyonel Feininger's architectural paintings. They all point to the idea that art isn't about capturing reality, but about creating a new one.