When he painted "The Water Margin in 1898," Isaac Levitan had been suffering heart problems and knew he was nearing the end of his life
Isaac Levitan (1868-1900) -- The Water Margin -- 1898
He said: "You probably think that my future landscapes will be soaked in pessimism, so to speak? Don’t worry, I love nature too much."
Regardless of how much time we have left remaining in our lives, we each have the blank canvas that sits before us today. Paint boldly!
ReplyDeleteWhat a truly beautiful quote :')
ReplyDeleteSo poignant, is Levitan. I can’t recall if I’ve mentioned the book, “Antosha & Levitasha: the shared lives of Anton Chekhov and Isaac Levitan” by Serge Gregory? It’s one of the few books in English that delves into Levitan’s close and complicated friendship with author/playwright Chekhov — as well all sorts of insights into his struggles as an artist. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteHow do I join this group? Please email me. mrclbueno56@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteLaura, thanks for that tip on Chekhov / Levitan. I've run across a few quotes by Chekhov, and I can't wait to learn what we can learn about painting from that book.
ReplyDeleteSpeed2011 It's free to visit the blog, though I don't know how to let new people sign up for the subscription.
Jim and R. Wesley, so true!
This painting makes me wonder how much Levitan used photography (at least in as much as what was available at the time) just because, in my perception, the dark fields of color being so flat compared to the rest of the composition.
ReplyDeleteBill
GOOD
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