*This painting is sold but the artist is regularly available in our inventory		Michael Chestov* Russian, born 1934 Shipping Scene Oil on board 5 x 17 1/2 inches Signed lower right Water and the sea are the overriding themes in Chestov’s paintings, and in our example the artist’s irresistible attraction to the element becomes apparent. Six ships with relatively tall masts are gently mopping on the peaceful waters close to the coastline. Indeed, one of the ships appears to be almost touching the ground. The mirror like surface of the water indicates that there is little if any wind. Held in a curtain of light gray and blue tonalities, the color of the water is duplicated in the vast sky. Despite the relatively limited palette, the painting shimmers with light, and the delicate shifts in the water’s tonalities add to the scenes overall feeling of peacefulness. The brush strokes are thick and loose, resulting in a thin impasto in some parts of the water surface to give the impression of slight waves. It is a prime example of his preference for working with unmixed and lighter colors. Despite the rather limited palette, this piece reveals Chestov’s extraordinary sense of both color and composition. The light palette and warm colors imbue our piece with a light, south-of-France ambience that indicates the fact that Chestov was following in the footsteps of the great impressionist painters.