Capricorn 1907

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis made this small painting, Capricorn, with watercolour and tempera, but when? There's a gorgeous range of blues, from a deep, moody indigo at the top, that fades into a dreamy azure at the horizon line. But then your eye is drawn down into this even darker pool in the foreground. It's a balancing act between light and dark, surface and depth. The paint itself isn't overworked, it’s kind of thin, like the artist was trying to catch a fleeting feeling. Look at the little stars or sparkles scattered across the night sky. They aren’t just plopped on. They seem to emerge from the very texture of the paper, like tiny pinpricks of light pushing through. That little triangle in the center, maybe it's a mountain, a head, or a hat? The way it reflects downwards suggests a gateway, an opening into a different dimension. It reminds me of some of Odilon Redon's more mystical works, where symbols and dreams blur together. Art is a continuum, right? We're all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of this crazy world.