Abramtsevo. Oak Grove. 1920

Pyotr Konchalovsky daubed this oak grove in 1920 with thick strokes of green and brown, almost like he was wrestling the image onto the canvas. You can almost feel the artist standing there, squinting at the light as it drizzles through the leaves. I bet he was trying to capture not just the look of the trees, but the very air, the coolness of the shade. See how the brushstrokes build up? Like he’s layering his impressions, one on top of the other. It’s not just about representation; it's about feeling the weight and volume of those trees. That chunky texture reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a Russian soul. Artists, you know, we’re all in this big conversation, riffing off each other, trying to find our own voice in the chorus. Konchalovsky is saying something about the solidity of nature, but also about the fleeting, dappled light that makes it so alive. A painting like this embraces the 'in-between'–it’s solid but also kind of dreamy.