White hillside buildings, windmills and winding stairs rise above dry brush beneath a blue sky streaked with clouds.

A Stairway Into Blue

MG-0564

Santurini · 2022-07-27

About this piece

Whitewashed buildings, windmills and a warm-toned dome gather across a steep hillside, linked by winding stairs and layered terraces. Strong sunlight defines the curved roofs and walls, while yellow façades, red doors and blue railings punctuate the predominantly white architecture. The tall composition balances this intricate settlement with an expansive cloud-streaked sky and a rugged foreground of stone and dry vegetation.

The story

Late July light falls across the terraces, catching the rounded roofs and the edges of narrow steps. Small figures move between white walls, their bright clothes briefly echoing the painted doors. Above them, the windmill spokes draw fine lines against the blue. Dry grasses crowd the rocky slope below, where the smooth geometry of the buildings gives way to tangled stems and broken stone. The eye follows one stairway, then another, before resting in the open sky.

More from Quiet Passages

View all →

A weathered boat with an exposed engine rests beneath sunlit brick vaults beside a bright courtyard. — A Hull at Rest

Rows of reddish brick arches recede over a pale, uneven floor toward a dark opening. — The Measure Of Silence

Sunlit brick fort walls rise above rippling water, with a lantern tower and a bird against a cloud-streaked blue sky. — Where Brick Meets Sky

A red brick fort and entrance bridge stand above a reflective moat beneath a blue and gold twilight sky. — Where Light Keeps Watch

Repeating brick arches recede toward a dark opening, with bands of sunlight crossing the rough floor. — The Measure Of Light

Repeating brick arches recede toward a dark opening, with bands of sunlight and shadow crossing the rough floor. — The Measure Of Silence