Two Stones 1977

Avigdor Arikha made this watercolour painting, Two Stones, in 1977. It's a work of few colours, mostly browns and greys. I like the looseness and lightness of touch, like the paint was applied in delicate washes, that let the whiteness of the page shine through. There's something cool about how Arikha just plonks those stones down on the page and calls it a day. I mean, who knew rocks could be so...expressive? But look closer, see how the shadows define their forms, how the texture is built up with layers of translucent paint. It’s like Arikha is saying, "Hey, even the most mundane things can be beautiful if you really look." It puts me in mind of Giorgio Morandi, another artist who found endless inspiration in simple, everyday objects. They both remind us that art isn't just about grand gestures, but about paying attention to the quiet beauty of the world around us.