Painting Impressionist Symphony, artist Serhiy Shvydiuk

• Artist: Serhiy Shvydiuk
• Title: "Impressionist Symphony"
• Year: 2023
• Size: 65 × 55 cm
• Materials: canvas, oil
• Original hand-painted painting

Impressionist Symphony is a horizontal landscape with a narrow river or stream flowing from the foreground into the distance. The water winds between banks overgrown with grass and shrubs and leads towards a group of trees in the background. To the right of centre rises a spreading tree with a coral crown and curving branches, while rounded clumps of greenery darken on the left. A tall, light sky with drifting clouds stretches above the landscape, and its pink-white light is reflected in the water. The bend of the river leads the eye from the lower edge of the canvas to the centre, where the lightest and warmest patches of the landscape are gathered.

The work is painted in oil with small, densely laid strokes that merge into a shimmering surface. This manner refers to the painting of the impressionists and post-impressionists: form is conveyed not by outline but by the vibration of colour patches. On the banks and crowns the strokes follow the form, while in the sky they are freer and softer. The artist’s signature with the date can be seen in the lower right corner of the canvas. The dense texture of the paint layer keeps the surface alive: under different light through the day the painting will be perceived anew.

The colour scheme is built on bold, resonant combinations. Orange, coral and pink tones of the banks and crowns sit next to rich greens and deep blue shadows lying under the trees and in the riverside thickets. The sky is painted in delicate turquoise-mint and cream shades, and the reflection in the river flares with pink and lilac. The colours follow one another like musical themes, and the title accurately captures the festive, sunny sound of the work. The blue shadows do not weigh the composition down; on the contrary, they heighten the glow of the warm tones and create the feeling of a bright summer day.

Serhiy Shvydiuk has been working in art for more than 30 years. His artistic vision was shaped by studying the finest examples of world art — the painting of the impressionists, the avant-garde of the 1920s and 1930s, and current trends in contemporary art. These roots are clearly visible in the colour freedom and rhythmic brushwork of this piece.

The medium format of 65 × 55 cm is convenient for a living room, dining room, bedroom or study. The painting will fill a space with light and warmth even on an overcast day and looks especially good on light walls, next to natural wood, textiles and house plants. The work will be a joyful gift for a woman or a man who loves nature and vivid painting, and will delight admirers of impressionism.