Novgorod. The church. 1925

Pyotr Konchalovsky’s ‘Novgorod. The Church.’ is a masterclass in reductive painting, made with oil on canvas. The way the brushstrokes are laid down—sort of chunky, yet decisive—gives you the feeling that he's really wrestling with the subject, trying to pin down its essence. Look at the walls of the church, how he's used this off-white, almost greyed-out palette. Then, bam! He hits you with these small, concentrated pops of colour. Notice the brown in one of the windows – it's like a tiny sunspot pulling you in. The way he deals with light and shadow is so intuitive, almost like he's sculpting with the paint. Konchalovsky reminds me of a Russian Cezanne, taking something solid and real, and then bending it to his will. He invites us to see not just the church, but his way of seeing, his own mark-making. It’s a real invitation into his process.