Saint Sophia Cathedral 1964

Yuriy Khymych made this painting of Saint Sophia Cathedral with oil on canvas. What strikes me most is the palette. It’s this mix of greys and blues, punctuated by bright gold and the deep orange block. It feels really atmospheric, like a cloudy day. Looking at the way the paint is applied, you can see the hand of the artist, the movement in the marks. The paint isn’t overly thick, but you can still see the strokes, especially in the clouds. There’s a certain freedom to the way the artist has handled the material, like he’s not trying to hide anything. If you look at the columns on the right side, notice how he uses a flat brush or even a palette knife to drag the paint down, creating these long, linear marks that define the architecture. It’s like he’s building the cathedral right in front of us, brick by painted brick. You know, this reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi. Both artists have this way of finding beauty in the everyday, turning simple subjects into something profound. It’s a reminder that art is all about seeing, and more importantly, feeling.