The Last Snow (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) 1975

Yuriy Khymych made this painting of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra with oil on canvas. Look at how the paint has been applied in blocks of colour to depict the architectural forms, the snow, and the sky! I can only imagine Khymych standing before this vista with his brushes and paints, trying to capture the scene. I wonder if he struggled to make the colours he saw, or if he chose a palette ahead of time. The buildings are cool in tone with blues and greens, while the snow itself is off-white. Together, these colours seem to hum with cold. But look at how Khymych has created this sense of depth, as if we are seeing through the crisp air, with the domes overlapping. The painting has an intensity of vision that feels like it is of a particular time. I think of Khymych carrying on the work of artists like Malevich who came before him, making new something from something old. We can see the conversation between artists across time in action here!