Marble Mosque of Sultan Selim 1952

John Lavalle painted Marble Mosque of Sultan Selim with watercolor in 1962. Just look at how the washes of watery pigment pool and mingle, creating soft edges and luminous effects. I bet Lavalle mixed his colors right on the paper, allowing them to blend and bleed into each other, creating subtle gradations of tone and hue. Can’t you just imagine him, brush in hand, carefully layering translucent washes to build up depth and form? Each stroke seems so tentative, so full of possibility. It reminds me of Cézanne’s watercolors, how he used color to construct form. Those muted blues, greens, and pinks create a sense of tranquility and stillness. This painting feels like a moment suspended in time. It’s like Lavalle is inviting us to slow down, to contemplate the beauty of the world around us. And that’s what painting is all about, isn’t it?