Palazzo Labbia, Venice 1913

John Singer Sargent captured Palazzo Labbia in Venice with watercolour. It's like a dance of watery pigment, so fluid and light, yet able to evoke a sense of place, light, and atmosphere. What strikes me about this piece is how Sargent uses the transparency of the watercolor to create depth and luminosity. The washes of color blend and bleed into each other, creating a sense of movement and fluidity. Look at the way the water reflects the buildings, it is pure magic. It's almost as if the buildings are mirages, shimmering in the heat of the Venetian sun. Notice the brushstrokes, loose and gestural. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper. Thinking about other artists grappling with light and place, Turner comes to mind. Both were interested in capturing the transient effects of light and atmosphere. Art is always an ongoing conversation, right?