1897
oil on canvas
70,6 х 81

The study "Agave", painted in plain-air, occupies a special place in the artist's work. Seen against the backdrop of abstract mystical paintings, this impressionist work is amazing in its powerful expression. An exotic plant is shown from a dynamic angle, which combines a view from above and from below. Meaty leaves are located along an oblique axis, which creates an impression of explosive growth and rotational movement. The composition's dynamics is due to its shift from the centre of the main item depicted. The space behind the agave is represented with a fast stream of flashing expressive brush strokes. The rainbow colour scheme is dominated by cold shades, typical of the colour gamut of Borisov-Musatov. The leaves in the centre "break through" the top boundary of the composition. The light does not seem to be metaphysical. With prominent brushstrokes to render light rays, seemingly cutting into the agave leaves, the artist dematerializes, as it were, the form of a live plant, triggering its spiritual growth.