View of the Phlegraean Island of Nisida from Posillipo 1907

Giuseppe Casciaro captured this view of Nisida from Posillipo in pastel, and what strikes me is how he's conjured a whole world with such a soft touch. You can almost feel the Mediterranean breeze as the pastel dust settles on the paper. I can imagine Casciaro standing there, squinting at the horizon, quickly laying down these strokes of muted blues and greens. There's a lovely contrast between the stillness of the island and the energy of the sea. Look at those little white dashes. They are so full of movement, alive with the rhythms of the water. Then your eye lifts up to that hazy sky, it's almost like a Turner, all atmosphere and light. It reminds you that artists are always looking, always responding, always finding new ways to see the world, and then inviting us to see it with them.