Pisces 1907

Ciurlionis painted 'Pisces' with watercolour, pastel and possibly tempera, but who can really say? It’s all about the process of layering. See how the image is built up of thin washes, one over the other, allowing the pale blues and greens to glow from beneath. There’s a luminosity to the colours that feels almost otherworldly, like a dreamscape. The texture is smooth, with no visible brushstrokes, the marks are deliberately obscured. Look closely at the sun-like orb at the horizon line; the radiating lines feel delicate and precise. Ciurlionis's commitment to abstraction and spiritual themes, reminds me of Hilma af Klint. Both artists sought to capture the invisible forces of nature and the cosmos, embracing ambiguity over fixed meanings.