View of Tiflis
This painting exemplifies the naturalism and realism for which the artist was so renowned. The detail in the foreground and the expanse of the view is almost as alluring as the clear blue sky. The painting illustrates the heart of a bustling city, complete with merchants on camelback, and ladies watching the crowd from their balconies, and sets it against the beautiful expanse of development throughout the valley below, from the hilltops and cliff faces, to the valley below. The tree leaves themselves look as if they might rustle in with a slight breeze. The play of light and shadow is also skillfully done, suggesting that the sun is growing low on the horizon.
