Capture of bear in the woods 1907

Klavdy Lebedev painted this hunting scene, *Capture of bear in the woods*, with oils, and I’m guessing sometime around the turn of the last century. There’s something really immediate about the way he's captured the scene, like a quick sketch or a snapshot. Look how thin the paint is in the background, almost like watercolor. Then, in the foreground, especially on the red coats, he's built up the paint, making these delicious impasto marks that catch the light. Notice the way he’s used these thick strokes to give shape and form to the hunter on the right, his back turned to us as he hauls the bear. You can almost feel the weight and strain of the capture in that single gesture. I’m reminded of Courbet’s paintings, especially the way he used such physicality in his brushwork. Both artists embrace a way of seeing that feels raw and honest. With Lebedev, there is an understanding that what ends up on the canvas is less about perfection, and more about process.