Posillipo, Naples 1926

Konstantin Gorbatov conjured Posillipo in Naples with oil on canvas, and looking at it makes me think about the sheer joy of painting outside. Imagine Gorbatov, squinting in the dazzling Italian light, trying to capture the shimmer of the sea. See how the strokes aren’t blended, but laid on top of each other, like he’s building the scene from little blocks of color. I love how the buildings almost seem to melt into the landscape, a dance between solid and ephemeral. Painting is so much about problem-solving, isn't it? How to make this flat surface sing with light, depth, and atmosphere? You can see Gorbatov wrestling with it, layer upon layer. Each brushstroke feels like a decision, a small act of faith. It’s like he’s saying, “This is how I see it, this is how I feel it.” And that, my friends, is the magic of painting.