Medieval Castle, Ketshin, Poland 1985

Petros Malayan made this painting of a Medieval Castle in Ketshin, Poland using fluid brushstrokes and a muted colour palette. It feels like the scene materialized through layers of translucent washes and intuitive marks. I imagine Malayan standing there, squinting, trying to capture not just the castle itself, but the feeling of the place— the light, the dampness, the weight of history. The paint is thin and watery, like he’s trying to catch a fleeting moment. The dark strokes of the bare tree are so deliberate, so graphic, they feel like a gesture, almost like a signature in the landscape. Malayan wasn’t afraid to let the paint drip, to let the colours bleed, to leave things unresolved. This piece reminds me a little of Turner, or maybe even some of the early Impressionists – all those painters who were trying to capture the feeling of being there, instead of just making a perfect picture. Painters learn so much from each other, riffing on ideas and techniques across time. This painting invites us to slow down and be present, to embrace the beauty of imperfection, and to find meaning in the process of seeing.