San Gimignano Possibly 1922

Hermann Lismann created this impression of San Gimignano using watercolors, and what strikes me is how he coaxes a sense of structure out of a medium known for its fluidity. Look at how Lismann builds up the town’s architecture, not with hard outlines, but with layers of translucent washes. The color palette is muted – pale blues, greens, and ochres – giving the whole scene a dreamlike quality. The texture of the paper shines through, adding to the feeling of lightness and air. I’m drawn to the way he renders the sky. See how the blues bleed into the whites, creating soft, pillowy clouds. It’s loose, almost unfinished, but somehow it captures the essence of a bright, sunny day in Tuscany. It reminds me of Cézanne's watercolors, with their emphasis on form and structure, but Lismann brings his own sensibility to the genre. Ultimately, this little painting is a testament to the endless possibilities of watercolor.