Carmen - 'Carmen and José' 1910

This illustration, 'Carmen and José', was made by Byam Shaw, most likely as a book illustration, with watercolour and ink. It's got that slightly stiff, illustrative quality to it, but there is also something quite lively about the colour choices. Check out the way that Shaw describes that cobbled ground with a kind of broken mosaic of dark purples, browns, and yellows. I find that area as interesting as the figures themselves. You can see the influence of impressionism in the way he's broken down the surface. I’m reminded of a slightly later painter, someone like Paula Modersohn-Becker, in the way that Shaw deploys such a limited tonal range to describe a sense of depth. Both artists give you just enough information about the scene, leaving plenty for your imagination to fill in the blanks. It's this kind of generosity which makes art so rewarding.