Water Glass 1936

Ralph Atkinson's watercolour of a "Water Glass" has an interesting mix of precision and softness. The artist teases out the form of the glass with gentle strokes of blue and green, like he’s feeling his way around it. Looking closely, you can see how the delicate washes build up, layer upon layer, creating a luminous effect. I love the way the light plays on the surface, especially around the rim. The whole thing shimmers, almost like a mirage. There's a parallel here with Manet, an artist who often embraced a similarly light palette to capture reflections and the changing effects of light. Both Manet and Atkinson allow for a touch of ambiguity, and this is where the real magic happens. It’s this embrace of the uncertain that allows our own perceptions and experiences to color what we see.