The Salute, Venice 1911

Clarence Gagnon made this painting of Venice with oil on canvas, and when you look at it, you can almost feel the sun on your skin. I can imagine Gagnon standing there, trying to capture the light bouncing off the water and the buildings. It’s all about these quick, flickering brushstrokes, like he’s trying to grab a moment that’s already slipping away. See how the blues and pinks blend together? It’s like a watercolor, but with the heft of oil paint. The way he painted the water, those dashes and squiggles, it's almost like he’s writing with the paint. And those gondolas! They're just these dark, blurry shapes, but they give you a sense of the city's pulse. Painters like Gagnon were in conversation with each other, each trying to figure out how to capture the world in their own way. It's like they’re all part of this big, messy, beautiful conversation that never really ends.