Journey of the Prince (III) 1907

Ciurlionis painted this image, *Journey of the Prince (III)*, sometime during his short but productive life. Look at the sky: it's a wash of blues and whites, soft like a dream. And then this structure emerges, part castle, part ice formation, with these pointy spires reaching up. I can imagine him standing there, maybe in his studio, maybe outside, trying to capture something fleeting. Was he thinking about fairy tales, or the stark beauty of the Lithuanian landscape? The paint is thin, almost like watercolor, which gives it this airy, ethereal quality. Notice that little dark smudge near the center? Is it a bird, or a shadow, or just a trick of the light? These small details can say so much. I'm also reminded of other visionary painters like, oh, Hilma af Klint. How they were all trying to find new ways to express something beyond what we can see with our eyes. Ultimately, painting is a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time. It's never about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions, and embracing the journey.