Since the 1910s, the style of Konstantin Korovin (December 5, 1861 - September 11, 1939) gradually became more and more decorative while he actively worked as the leading theater artist in Russia. The evolution of Korovin’s creative method is most clearly seen in his works dedicated to poetry evenings. Against the background of a quiet nature in conversations and dreams, he depicts young women. These plots, as melodic as nocturnes and ballads, were drawn by the artist at his Okhotsk and Gurzuf dachas.

In this gentle work filled with poetic feeling, there is neither detailed action nor a plot. The models were painted from the scenery of real life and their portrait characteristics were subdued on purpose. The main thing here is the general atmosphere, and the mood would later be called “Chekhov”s”. It is projected via profound pictorial techniques. The mood as the main subject can be traced in the chosen color palette, the lack of precise detailing, and large strokes typical for the artist. The semantic center of the canvas is graceful, artistic girls dressed in specially tailored “theatrical” dresses. They pose for the artist, but their faces and postures are casual, without tension. The immediacy of the scene is emphasized by the fragmented composition and the understatement of the plot, allowing the viewer to continue the story himself.

All the objects depicted in the picture seem to focus the viewer’s attention on the images of the characters. The interior is filled with a special evening atmosphere. Each of its details is, as if rhymed in shape and color with the figures of the girls, reflecting their mood, youth and beauty. The splendor of the interior is emphasized by the bouquet of flowers on the table, and the burning candles add mystery. The night landscape outside the terrace windows evokes many poetic associations: ‘Here nature speaks of human feelings, and human feelings seem to dissolve in it.’