Ved Canal Grande i Venedig 1909

Karl Schou made this painting of the Grand Canal in Venice with oil on canvas. It's all soft greys, whites, and creams. The strokes of the brush are gentle and blurry, with some areas smudged as if to mimic the fleeting reflection of light on water. I imagine Schou standing on the banks of the canal, squinting in the sunlight, trying to capture the light and essence of the scene before him. There is an awareness here of the way previous painters have responded to this world. There is a lot of history between painters, and the conversation goes on and on. I bet he mixed these colors himself. Look at the way the brush drags through the paint, how the colors blend on the canvas, creating soft edges and blurred forms. You can feel the artist's hand in every stroke. These marks communicate a feeling, not just information. All painters are in conversation with one another, inspiring each other's creativity across time. There are multiple interpretations and meanings in a work like this.