Thoughts 1907

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis made this pastel drawing, “Thoughts," with broad, gestural marks and a palette of warm yellows, oranges, and cool blues. I can just picture him, stepping back, squinting, adding another layer, another thought. I sympathize with Ciurlionis. What was he thinking when he made this? The boats float in the sky like thoughts. We can see the texture of the pastel, the way it’s been built up in layers. It's not just about depicting something, it’s about the feeling, you know? Look at the way the yellow is applied in short, choppy strokes. It communicates a sense of energy, almost frenetic, like the mind racing. Ciurlionis, like other painters, is in conversation with the world. He may have been inspired by other artists. He would have been looking at the world around him too! He took all that, mixed it up in his brain, and let it come out through his hand onto the paper. It's an embodied expression that allows for so many interpretations.