Pier in the Crimea 1913

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin’s painting of a pier in the Crimea feels so immediate, like a scene he encountered and quickly painted. I love the way the brushstrokes record a fleeting moment in time with such joy! Looking at it now, I can almost feel the warm breeze and hear the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. It makes me want to go there. I imagine Korovin standing there, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight, rapidly mixing colors on his palette to capture the turquoise water and the bleached-out tones of the boats on the shore. You can see the painting emerge, shifting and solidifying through trial, error, and intuition. It reminds you of the Impressionists, but with a twist of something else. The quick brushstrokes communicate feeling, intention, and meaning so much. It’s like he's talking to us across time, saying, “Hey, isn’t this a great view? I had to paint it!” And in painting it, he invites us to see the world with fresh eyes.