Okhotino. September - Konstantin Korovin

A Russian Impressionist study of the autumn season at Konstantin Korovin's country estate. This 1915 oil painting features expressive brushwork and a moody palette of violets and greys.

Konstantin Korovin painted this scene at his country estate in Okhotino during the autumn of 1915. As a leading figure in Russian Impressionism, Korovin often used his dacha as a subject for his experiments with light and atmosphere. This work depicts the rural surroundings under a heavy, overcast sky. The composition is dominated by the expansive heavens, where thick applications of paint create a sense of movement in the clouds. The palette consists of deep violets, slate greys, and muted blues. These cool tones are interrupted by a cluster of yellow and orange foliage in the lower left, indicating the changing season. Korovin used a broad, gestural technique that prioritises the immediate impression of the weather over fine detail. The wooden buildings of the village appear as simplified forms against the horizon, their shapes defined by quick strokes of white and brown. During this period, Korovin was increasingly interested in capturing the specific moods of the Russian countryside. His brushwork became more expressive and less concerned with academic precision. The low horizon line allows the sky to occupy the majority of the canvas, emphasising the scale of the rural environment. This painting is a characteristic example of his late style, where the physical texture of the oil paint is as important as the subject itself.