Bologna Fountain 1906

John Singer Sargent made this watercolor of the Bologna Fountain with fluid washes and decisive strokes. It’s all about the process. The way he lets the paint drip and pool suggests a real feel for the materiality of the medium. Look closely and you can see how Sargent uses thin washes to build up the forms of the fountain, letting the white of the paper peek through in places to create a sense of light and atmosphere. Notice how the architectural details around the base are handled with such a light touch. The paint is so thin there. Yet, with just a few strokes, Sargent captures the essence of the fountain's ornate design and its reflections. Sargent’s looser, more expressive style reminds me a little of someone like Manet. He’s not afraid to leave things unresolved. For Sargent, as for many artists, art making is a conversation. It’s about embracing ambiguity and resisting the urge to nail everything down.