Antwerp 1929

Muirhead Bone made this watercolour called Antwerp with ink on paper, but the date is unknown. It’s all about the gestural touch here, right? The washes of color are really thin and transparent, creating an ethereal atmosphere, like a memory of a place. I’m drawn to the contrast between the more defined ink work of the boats and the smokestack on the right. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving quickly, capturing the essence of the scene with just a few strokes. It's like a haiku, where every mark counts. That smokestack billowing out black smoke, it’s a great example of how the piece balances depiction with abstract gesture. Bone’s economy of line reminds me of some of James McNeill Whistler’s etchings, they both manage to suggest so much with so little. What I love about this piece is that it invites us to participate, to fill in the gaps with our own imagination. There’s no right way to see it.