A study of a dog 

Anton Romako made this small study of a dog with watercolor on paper, sometime in the 19th century. Romako's loose washes of diluted color, and the thinness of the paper itself, give the piece a feeling of immediacy. It’s as though the image was captured in a fleeting moment. There is a sense of fluidity and spontaneity to his technique, and a skillful translation of three-dimensional form onto a two-dimensional surface. The transparency of the material allows the whiteness of the paper to shine through, creating highlights and depth, whilst areas of shadow are built up with layering and contrasting tones. While watercolor painting has been used since the Renaissance, its portability and ease of use made it a popular choice for preparatory sketches. This artwork demonstrates how so-called traditional art materials and processes were, and remain, vital tools for artistic exploration, challenging distinctions between preliminary studies and finished works.