Three towers 1962

Yuriy Khymych made this 60 x 40 cm painting, “Three Towers,” using, I imagine, oil paints and brushes on canvas or board, carefully layering colours to create a scene of quiet observation. I wonder what Khymych was thinking when he created these towers. I bet he was interested in the dark outlines hugging the architectural forms, defining them against the pale sky and the sea. The paint looks applied in careful flat planes of colour, building up the composition like a jigsaw puzzle. Look how each stroke seems considered, slowly building the composition from the ground up. It reminds me of how Giorgio Morandi used to paint his bottles, trying to capture something beyond just a simple representation. The brown and ochre pathways wrap around the dark towers and seem to invite you in, offering up a little bit of mystery. It’s a good reminder that, even in simple gestures, a whole world of feelings and thoughts can come to life.