River Thames 1933

Eric Ravilious made this watercolour, River Thames, sometime in the early part of the twentieth century. Look at how the paint seems to glide and settle on the page, almost like frost gathering on a window. There is a real delicacy to it. It’s the kind of painting that seems to capture a whole world with just a few simple touches. The scene is busy – full of trees, a river, a car, and even a little man working on the bank - but it’s also incredibly quiet. I love the way the muted colors give it this sense of calm, like a hazy memory. Notice the brick stack to the bottom left, it's blocky and solid while the rest of the scene is translucent and gentle. For me, Ravilious is up there with Edward Bawden, another British artist who knew how to make the ordinary feel magical. Their work feels like a conversation, each riffing off the other, finding poetry in the everyday. It reminds us that art doesn't always need to shout; sometimes, the most powerful statements are whispered.