Karer See 1914

John Singer Sargent made this watercolor, Karer See, likely en plein air, playing with light and atmosphere. Look at how he's layered the washes, letting the colors bleed and mingle. The blues and purples in the water and mountains create a sense of depth, while the greens and browns of the forest provide a grounding contrast. Notice the strokes of white suggesting light reflecting on the water, little details that bring the scene to life. Sargent wasn't trying to capture reality; he was chasing an impression. There is an area near the middle of the artwork where the water meets the forest, the thin lines of white paint suggest the reflection of the trees in the water. It reminds me of Cezanne, who was after something similar, but with more blocky brushstrokes, or maybe Turner, with those romantic landscapes. Like both of them, Sargent is reminding us that painting is always about the experience, not the object. The ambiguity in the image is what makes it so evocative.