Last snow in Kolomenskoye. March

One of the old oak trees growing in Kolomenskoye Park with a picturesque spreading crown and metal patches on a thick trunk looks most vibrant in March in the sunlight. The thawed patches of melted snow, like a puzzle for a traveler, give only a hint of the imminent spring; birds are active at this time and begin to build nests, and some, such as owls, are already breeding. The play of texture in the sketch is not uniform; a brush with a layer of paint, sometimes impasto, and sometimes almost done with a light touch, creates volume and immersion of the viewer into the space of the picture, making one feel the frosty freshness of the air and the brightness of the spring sun.