Still Life. Wildflowers. 1938

Pyotr Konchalovsky captured this still life using oil on canvas. The artist’s approach is loose and energetic, almost slapdash. You can really see the materiality of the paint at play. The thick impasto of the flower petals contrasts with the thinner washes used for the background. The basket is given a rough, woven texture through visible brushstrokes, and the various wildflowers, painted with a vibrant palette, seem almost tactile. This materiality, where you can see the artist’s hand and engagement with his medium, is so important. It resists the notion of art as a purely intellectual pursuit, and instead emphasizes the physical labor and process involved in its creation. It invites us to consider the artist’s own physical presence in the making of the artwork. So, as you consider this still life, think about the ways in which the materials and making processes contribute to the meaning of the artwork, and consider the artist’s own physical labor.