Rex I 1904

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis made Rex I, using tempera on paper. Look how the paint is laid down, thin but luminous, almost like watercolour. You can sense the layering of colours, that process of building up tones. See that fiery orange bar near the top, how it's got this rough, almost crumbling texture, a bit like dry earth? It’s offset by the cool blues in the lower half which reflect the vertical column in the middle distance. That sail boat is like a fleeting thought, or a dream. Ciurlionis was into synesthesia, the idea of mixing senses, painting music – so maybe this quiet little painting is a whole symphony in disguise! There is a kinship between Ciurlionis's atmospheric landscapes and some of Odilon Redon’s symbolist works. Both explore inner worlds, where the seen and unseen meet and painting becomes a kind of visual poetry.