The Tiber at dusk 

Enrico Nardi created this watercolor painting of the Tiber River in Rome. Watercolor is a deceptively difficult medium: the artist works with thin washes of pigment, often on paper, and must anticipate how each layer will interact with the ones beneath. In this case, Nardi has exploited watercolor’s capacity for capturing light. He builds up the image from washes of peach, pale blue and brown. It takes technical mastery to render architecture and flowing water in such an atmospheric, ethereal way. Notice the fine lines that articulate the buildings on the riverbank, contrasted with the blurred horizon. But the material itself—watercolor—also carries significance. It was associated with amateur practice and open-air sketching, rather than the grand traditions of oil painting. In choosing this medium, Nardi aligned himself with a tradition of intimate, accessible art, a far cry from the weighty pronouncements of history painting. This piece suggests that beauty lies not in grand gestures but in the subtle observation of everyday life.