Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis is one of the brightest figures in the art history of Lithuania. His delicate and mysterious masterpieces contain a lot of symbols and it requires careful observation to spot all hidden aspects. I believe that the genius part of the Fairy Tale of the Kings (1909) is also the painting technique itself. M. K. Čiurlionis used a graphite pencil to add details to the composition. The effect he created works magically: small outlines made by pencil are glossy on a dark matt tempera surface and are only visible at the particular angle. I needed to spend some hours only going around the original painting and trying to track all lines which are impossible to see from one standpoint. The very final and exquisite touches - glossy golden brushstrokes which serve as shiny reflections on the hair and crowns of the characters.
