Moored Boats 1905

Giovanni Boldini made "Moored Boats" in 1905 with watercolor. It's amazing how much atmosphere he gets from what seems like so little. Look how he uses a limited palette to make us feel the scene, it's like a symphony of muted grays and browns, punctuated by moments of dark. Boldini doesn't fuss over details; instead, he lets the watercolors flow, trusting in their ability to suggest more than they show. Notice the way he handles the boats: they're not crisply defined, but they have weight. And the masts, they’re just a few strokes, yet they capture the essence of a harbor. There’s a lovely looseness to this painting. In some ways it makes me think of the watercolors of John Singer Sargent. Both have this incredible ability to capture a scene with such ease and lightness, like they're just sketching their impressions as they go. For Boldini, like Sargent, the process isn't about perfection. It’s about feeling.