The Piazzetta c. 1911

John Singer Sargent made this watercolor painting of The Piazzetta, and the way he layered washes of pigment, you can almost feel him standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture the Venetian light. I love how Sargent uses a limited palette – those muted blues, pinks, and yellows. They give the painting a sense of hazy atmosphere, like you're looking at the scene through a heat shimmer. And the way he suggests details with just a few quick strokes, the figures in the square, the reflections in the water, is really masterful. It's like he's not trying to paint every brick and stone, but rather trying to capture the essence of the place. You can see the influence of artists like Turner in his work, that interest in capturing light and atmosphere. It's all part of this ongoing conversation that painters have across time.