Turkish Bath with Self Portrait 1918

Charles Demuth made "Turkish Bath with Self Portrait" with watercolour, and the translucence of watercolour really lends itself to capturing the haziness of a hot, steamy bathhouse. Demuth’s process isn't concealed at all, but rather celebrated! The thin washes of colour build up the forms of the figures. See how the bodies are composed of pale yellows and pinks which almost seem to glow? The drips and pools of watercolour are left as part of the composition, becoming part of the atmosphere itself. I love how these marks run down the figures legs, it really draws your eye down to the bottom of the image. The loose and flowing application is reminiscent of some of Francis Picabia’s later watercolours, although Demuth’s palette is much more delicate. What you’re seeing is really an ongoing conversation in art - artists like Demuth and Picabia building on the work of their predecessors, and responding to the context of their time. Ultimately, art is about ambiguity, it's always open to new interpretations and experiences.