Kyiv Lavra. Summer 1990

Yuriy Khymych made this painting, Kyiv Lavra. Summer, with what looks like oil on canvas, and it’s just packed with domes and trees! I love the tension between the flat shapes and the illusion of depth, it's like he's pushing and pulling at the same time. The palette is really interesting. Khymych wasn't afraid to use muted greens and blues and then, BAM! A jolt of gold. It’s this little surprise, right? I can only imagine what it must have been like to stand in front of this view, trying to capture all those details and impressions, knowing that you can’t literally copy it. There’s this little stroke of lavender, almost like a cloud, hovering over the top of the buildings, and it just lifts the whole thing, giving it a kind of lightness. It’s amazing how one little dab of paint can change everything. You can see Khymych was inspired by many kinds of painting in this one image. This painting is a conversation with so many other paintings.