Glen Lethnot 1928

James McBey made this watercolour painting of Glen Lethnot sometime in his life. It feels immediate, like it was dashed off in the field, en plein air, as the French say. Look at how thinly the washes are laid down; the paper is almost breathing through the paint. The real subject of this painting is watercolour itself, it's a testament to the medium. The layering is simple but effective, particularly where he's massed the greys and blues in the sky. Notice too how the colour gathers weight as you move upwards, giving a real sense of recession. You can feel the storm rolling in. This piece reminds me of John Singer Sargent's landscapes; he, too, had a real facility with watercolour. But where Sargent might be more interested in surface appearances, McBey seems to be trying to capture something more elemental. It’s a fleeting moment, rendered with sensitivity.