River Thames 1933

Eric Ravilious made this watercolour, “River Thames,” with delicate washes and linear details, and it's like he’s inviting us into a quiet, thoughtful moment by the water. I imagine Ravilious, maybe on a crisp day, carefully layering these translucent colours. Look at the way he renders the trees – not as solid forms, but as intricate networks of branches, almost like lace against the sky. There's a certain stillness about the scene, but also a gentle energy in the way the brush moves, capturing the subtle textures of the landscape. The muted tones create a melancholic yet harmonious atmosphere. You can almost feel the dampness in the air. I’m thinking of other watercolourists, like John Marin, who found such freedom and expressiveness in the medium. Ravilious has that same light touch, that sense of discovery, as if he’s letting the water and pigment lead the way. It is in these quiet acts of observation, that we understand our relationship to our environment.