Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis
In the painting you can see various angels with colorful wings climbing stairs. This could be an allegory of a soul’s journey onward, towards Heaven. Soul matters were important to Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, who was a Roman Catholic and according to his peers, would help others even if it meant he would leave himself with nothing.
The painting also could symbolize a journey towards perfection. This can also be suggested by the title, with prelude referring to an introduction leading up to the main act. The viewer’s eye stops at the main character of the painting: the angel with rainbow-colored wings sitting on top of the hill. We can sense that this angel is the highest of all angels and represents each of their end goals.
But here’s the thing—the angel is not sitting at the top of the stairs where the other angels are going. The angel is sitting on top of a hill that is full of wavering and otherworldly flowers and branches. Could this mean that perfection cannot be achieved in ways that most people (or in this case angels) assume? It could.
Sadly, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis wouldn’t explain his paintings so each of his creations are open for discussion, Angel Prelude being no exception.
We present today's work thanks to the M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. :)
P.S. Click here to discover the fairy-tale like themes in Čiurlionis' art. Maybe this will help with interpreting this work. :)
P.P.S. If you're up for more Abstraction, please check out our DailyArt Prints where you will find some abstract masterpieces printed in extreme high quality. :)