Cover of the project of the large coat of arms of the Ukrainian State 1918

This is Heorhiy Narbut's "Cover of the project of the large coat of arms of the Ukrainian State," and it’s not exactly clear when it was made or with what, but I'd say it looks like watercolor. See how the colors are laid down in translucent layers, giving it an ethereal quality. I'm drawn to the way Narbut uses color. It’s like he's building a world with shades, allowing the paper to breathe beneath the thin washes of paint. It gives the image depth. Look at the clouds; they are very subtle, as is the light on the faces of the figures and the wall. Narbut’s approach reminds me of the way Agnes Martin worked, finding the sublime in simplicity, or perhaps more appropriately, looking back to illuminated manuscripts. It's like he’s saying, "Art isn't about showing everything; it's about suggesting what lies beneath." Art is an ongoing conversation, after all.