A Bridge and Campanile, Venice 1902 - 1904

Here's a watercolor by John Singer Sargent of a Venetian bridge and campanile, that's a bell tower, made with fluid washes in muted browns, blues, and pinks. I can almost feel the artist there, on the spot, trying to catch the light flickering on the water, the way the buildings just sort of dissolve into the sky. You know, painting outside is so hard. There's the wind, the changing light, the people, everything is moving. You have to think fast, and just go for it. Look at how he's suggested the details of the architecture with just a few quick strokes of the brush. The buildings seem to reflect in the water as he embraces the materiality of the paint. A light application of blues and greys depict the water rippling, with the essence of the water captured in this distilled vision. It reminds me of how artists are always looking at each other’s work, responding to it, learning from it. Like, I bet Sargent was looking at Turner, trying to figure out how he made those luminous skies. It’s all one big conversation, you know?