River Boats 2001

Wayne Thiebaud painted this riverscape with oils, pushing pigment around the canvas in such a way as to create a whole world. I can imagine him standing before the blank canvas, brush in hand, thinking about how to create the illusion of water and land. There is an interesting sense of aerial perspective going on here, with the viewpoint situated above the scene, looking down. The palette is restrained, with pastel greens and blues dominating the composition. I see how Thiebaud has built up the layers of paint to create a textured surface. He’s used the brush to create a sense of movement and energy, especially in the way he depicts the light reflecting on the river. The dark area in the foreground is a really strange shape, what is going on there? I see the influence of artists like Edward Hopper in Thiebaud's work, but he has his own distinct style. The history of painting is a conversation between artists, each building on the work of those who came before.