Calle della Madonna (?) 1925

James McBey made this watercolour painting, Calle della Madonna (?), and, oh boy, doesn’t it just grab you? The muted palette, mostly greys and purples, gives the scene this gorgeous, melancholy mood. I can just imagine McBey standing there, rapidly sketching the scene, trying to catch the light as it bounces off those weathered buildings. See how the buildings almost lean in towards each other, creating this claustrophobic, but also kind of intimate, space? And the figures in the foreground – they’re not really detailed, but they’re enough to give you a sense of life, of movement. I like the confidence of the brushstrokes, too. McBey wasn't afraid to let the watercolour do its thing, to let it bleed and blend and create these lovely, soft edges. You can see the influence of artists like Whistler. It's like he’s inviting us to get lost in the shadows, to feel the weight of history pressing in on us. Painting is a conversation, always referencing and responding to what’s come before.