Portrait of N. Svendonskaya 1915

Aristarkh Lentulov made this painting, 'Portrait of N. Svendonskaya,' with what looks like oil paint. The colors are wild, right? Purples, yellows, oranges all jostling for space. It's like Lentulov wasn’t just painting a portrait, but also a feeling, a vibe. I bet he was thinking about color and form, maybe even arguing with them as he went. Did he start with the background or the figure? The way the colors bleed into each other makes me think he was after something deeper than just a likeness. Look at the way he painted the flowers on her dress. Each little brushstroke feels like a tiny explosion. And her face, the way the colors shift around her eyes. You can see Lentulov’s not just trying to show you what she looks like, but also how she exists in the world, how she relates to these colors. It reminds me of other painters who were playing with color, like Matisse. It’s like they’re all in conversation, pushing each other to see how much a painting can hold. It's a constant exchange of ideas across time.