Roses in a Jug 1936

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this painting of roses in a jug with oil on canvas. Look at how Konchalovsky has built up the surface with these vigorous, almost haphazard strokes. It's like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to capture the fleeting beauty of those roses before they wilt. The palette is kind of muted – dusky pinks, creamy whites, and deep reds set against the dark greens of the leaves and vase. I can imagine him stepping back, squinting, and then lunging forward to apply another dab of color. I feel like Konchalovsky is in conversation with all those other painters who have tried to pin down the essence of a flower. Like he's saying, "Yeah, I see you Manet, Fantin-Latour! But I’m going to do it my way, with all this messy energy. The whole history of painting is just a bunch of artists riffing off each other. And that’s how we keep things fresh, and surprising, you know? It is what keeps us going.