CEMENT WORKS No.2 1934

Eric Ravilious made this watercolor, Cement Works No. 2, sometime during his career. The whole scene feels so considered, but the colors are muted and the marks are delicate. It's like he's trying to find a balance between control and letting the paint do its thing. Look at how he renders the smoke from the chimney, it’s like a ghostly cloud, so soft and ethereal, contrasting with the stark, geometric buildings. There's this lovely tension between the industrial and the natural that gets me thinking about how we interact with our environment. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper, that same sense of quiet observation. But there's also something uniquely Ravilious here. His work makes me remember that art isn't about answers, it's about keeping the conversation going.