Medieval Castle, Ketshin, Poland 1985

Petros Malayan's Medieval Castle, Ketshin, Poland is a landscape made with loose washes of muted colour, perhaps watercolour, or gouache. I see a lot of greys, greens, and browns here, and this sombre palette reflects the architectural subject of the painting. The castle itself seems to emerge from a haze of brushstrokes, and the marks are quite varied, with some areas featuring dry-brush textures, and others softer, more blended effects. In the lower-left corner there’s this car, hastily drawn, that adds a touch of modernity to the scene, which contrasts with the old castle. The dark, looming tree in the center is like a skeletal figure, and this makes me think of other artists like Caspar David Friedrich, in their use of nature to evoke a sense of melancholy and introspection. Like so much good art, it leaves you with more questions than answers.