The Castellet at Trébeurden 1939

Alexandre Benois made this watercolour painting, 'The Castellet at Trébeurden', at an unknown date. Look at the washes of colour, so thinly applied. It makes me think about a certain kind of patience, capturing a scene so gently, allowing the whiteness of the paper to shine through. I imagine Benois, probably outdoors, squinting at the landscape. Maybe he was trying to capture the light, the way the water meets the land, or the ruggedness of the Castellet? The colour palette feels very soft and muted. It’s mostly blues, greens, and browns, giving it a kind of melancholic mood. It reminds me a little of Corot's landscapes, where the atmosphere feels as important as the place itself. The small gestures of dark paint, built up into rock formations, are particularly beautiful. Painters are always in conversation, you know? Even across time. It's all about learning, borrowing, and pushing things further. Painting is an embodied form of expression. I love how it embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing multiple interpretations.