Night in the City 1957

Frans Masereel made "Night in the City" using broad strokes of watercolor. See how the blue seeps into the night? For me, art is a process. I love seeing how artists make decisions with each stroke. The texture feels almost like it’s been scratched into the paper, right? The dark blues and blacks create a nocturnal mood, and they're contrasted with these pops of warm yellow light. Look at the way Masereel suggests figures in the windows. There's an overall feeling of loneliness, but also of possibility. The layers of watercolor give depth to the cityscape. It’s like he’s built up the image, one transparent layer at a time. Masereel's graphic style and interest in social themes remind me of the German Expressionists. I also think of Kathe Kollwitz, especially in the artist's shared feeling for humanity. "Night in the City" isn't just one thing; it's a poem, a question, a fragment of a dream.