Gurzuf 1915

Konstantin Korovin made ‘Gurzuf’ with oil paints, and with a real zest for it, you can tell. The beauty of it lies in its touch – the loose brushstrokes, the dance of colours, you can sense him, there, at the edge of the Black Sea. I find myself drawn to that big, dark tree on the right. It anchors the whole scene, doesn't it? It’s almost abstract, just clumps of dark paint. Up close, you see greens and browns, a whole world contained in that single form. The paint’s thick, alive, like he just slapped it on there, trusting the process. Then your eye goes back to that sailboat, a little spark of light against the water. He lets the paint do the talking, not trying to make it perfect, but just letting the colours sing. Makes me think of Bonnard, how he could capture a whole mood with just a few strokes. It is like a conversation between artists, across time, each one adding their own voice.