View of the Phlegraean Island of Nisida from Posillipo 1907

Giuseppe Casciaro made this view of the Phlegraean Island of Nisida from Posillipo with pastels on paper. There's something so immediate about the pastel medium – it's pure pigment, straight from the stick to the page, which makes for a very direct kind of mark making. Look closely, and you can almost feel the roughness of the paper's surface, grabbing onto the pastel. The colours are muted, almost monochromatic, but that gives it a moody, atmospheric quality. I’m drawn to how the pastel is applied in layers, creating depth and texture. See how he builds up the rocks in the foreground with short, choppy strokes? The way the light hits the crest of the waves, little dashes of white and grey, feels so true to life. It reminds me a little of Whistler, who also used a limited palette to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. Ultimately, this piece celebrates the messy, imperfect, and deeply human process of seeing and trying to capture the world around us.