Cinco Melodias 1949

Xul Solar made this dreamy watercolour and ink painting, Cinco Melodias, sometime in the mid twentieth century, conjuring an otherworldly landscape. The gentle mark making and soft focus bring a musical quality to mind, as if Solar worked intuitively, letting the colours and forms emerge gradually. The texture is quite smooth, almost like a fresco, and the colours blend subtly, creating a hazy atmosphere. Look at the ochre, pink and purple mountains which rise up into the sky, linked by illuminated white paths, each one occupied by tiny figures going somewhere, or perhaps nowhere at all. See that face emerging from the landscape? It’s an uncanny moment. Solar’s work often blends esoteric symbolism with modernist abstraction, and it makes me think of Hilma af Klint, who was similarly preoccupied with spiritual dimensions. This painting feels like a window onto an inner world, a place of harmony and mystery. It’s a reminder that art can be a form of exploration, both for the artist and the viewer.