Venetian Canal 1903

Here's a small watercolor by John Singer Sargent, depicting a Venetian canal with gondolas gliding under a bridge. You know, watercolor is a funny medium – it's so immediate and kind of unforgiving. I can imagine Sargent standing there, trying to capture the light as it dances on the water, those reflections all broken up. The colors are all muted browns, blues and whites, creating a sense of atmosphere. The bridge is rendered in a few swift strokes, but you totally get the idea of its arch reaching across the canal. Look how he suggests movement and depth with just a few suggestive lines and washes! It makes me think about how painting is just a series of decisions – where to put the marks, how much water to use, when to stop. Each brushstroke could be a question: “What if I try this? Does this capture what I see, what I feel?” Every painter, whether they know it or not, engages with the history of seeing, and they teach us new ways of looking at the world.