Boys on the background of the city 1921

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin made this painting, Boys on the background of the city, using oil on canvas. The loose brushstrokes and muted palette create a dreamlike atmosphere, a process where the scene unfolds through layers of color and texture. Look closely at the buildings in the background. See how the artist used flat, geometric shapes to suggest form, creating a sense of depth without precise detail. The paint application is thin and translucent, allowing the canvas to peek through in areas, giving the painting a luminous quality. The colors, while subdued, are rich and complex, with subtle shifts in tone that create depth and atmosphere. Notice how the red-pink and blue-grey garments stand out against the ochre-toned city in the background. This contrast is a way to create a sense of connection between the foreground and background. Petrov-Vodkin reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, who had a similar knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Ultimately, art is about seeing the world in new ways.