Erechtheum c. 1915

This is Erechtheum by Rhodes Robertson, a watercolour, probably painted in the early to mid 20th century. Look at how these light, muted colours wash over the stone like gentle rain. The artist has been so delicate with his brushwork, capturing the way light dances across the ancient stones of the Erechtheum. It makes me wonder if he wasn't out there, *en plein air*, feeling the heat of the Greek sun, squinting as he worked. I bet he mixed the colours on a little folding tray that slotted neatly into his travel paintbox. I imagine he would have wanted to capture not just the physical structure, but the essence of this historic site. It's like he's trying to hold a moment in time, a conversation between the present and the distant past. His delicate rendering of the columns really reminds me of Turner's architectural studies; there's a shared interest in the play of light, and the feeling of a place. All painters, really, are connected by invisible threads, constantly responding to and building upon the work of those who came before.