Olive Trees, Corfu 1909

Editor: John Singer Sargent's "Olive Trees, Corfu" uses watercolor to capture these almost dancing trees. It feels very peaceful, but also, I don’t know, a little melancholic? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Melancholy, yes, like a half-remembered song. For me, it's Sargent at his most intuitive. Notice how the trunks writhe, almost figures themselves. Is it a landscape, or a portrait of a feeling? Editor: That's a great way to put it; I hadn't thought of the trees as figurative portraits before! Curator: Right? And that light! Ephemeral, fleeting, like all beautiful things. It makes you want to hold on to the moment. I guess we can't help but make art as a way to hold onto those moments. Editor: I definitely agree, and I think I have a new appreciation for Sargent’s watercolors.