Scarborough town and castle; morning; boys catching crabs c. 1810

J.M.W. Turner made this watercolor painting of Scarborough, a coastal town in North Yorkshire, England. The medium of watercolor itself is key here; rather than building up layers as with oil paint, Turner stains the paper with translucent washes of pigment. This lends itself perfectly to capturing the atmospheric effects of light and weather. Notice how the forms of the cliffs, castle, and boats seem to dissolve into the misty air, giving the whole scene a dreamlike quality. Turner’s innovative approach, particularly his focus on light and movement, paved the way for later movements like Impressionism. But in its own time, his style was radical, challenging the established traditions of landscape painting. His work invites us to consider not just what is depicted, but how the making itself shapes our perception.