Angel (Angel prelude) 1909

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis made "Angel (Angel prelude)" with paint, and what strikes me is how he handles his marks. It feels like he's building this whole world, bridge by bridge, cloud by cloud. You can see the process right there on the surface. The texture in this piece is so inviting, so tactile. The way Ciurlionis builds up the mountain, for instance, with all those little dabs and strokes of color, really gives it this sense of weight and presence. And then you look at the angel, perched up there, almost dissolving into the sky. It's like he's playing with the boundaries between the solid and the ethereal. The angel feels like a mirage of color. Thinking about someone like Odilon Redon, who explored similar territories of dream and symbol, I see how Ciurlionis takes that sensibility and gives it his own unique spin. Ultimately, it is a picture of not knowing.