Jasmine 1915

Charles Rennie Mackintosh made this 'Jasmine' drawing with ink and watercolor, and you can see how the materials themselves play a big part. There's a real tenderness to the watercolor washes, but then he comes in with these decisive, wiry lines. Look closely, and you'll see how the ink defines the flowers, giving them this almost architectural structure. The color is muted, but the composition feels super fresh and the whole thing is so elegant. The way he lets the lines hover and intersect reminds me a little of Matisse's drawings. It's like he's mapping out the space as much as he's representing the flowers. I love that tension between observation and invention. For me, it’s that balance that makes the image so alive, so present.