Jalta 

Edward Theodore Compton made this watercolor painting of Jalta. It’s a lovely example of a traditional art material used for landscape. Watercolors have a fluid quality, and they are very good for depicting the softness of clouds and the shifting reflections on water. The pigment is suspended in a water-based solution. Compton has applied it in thin washes and strokes, creating a sense of immediacy and transparency. Notice how the white of the paper shows through in places, adding luminosity and lightness to the scene. It’s interesting to think about how this landscape painting fits into a longer tradition of watercolor practice. For centuries, it’s been used by artists, especially for preparatory studies. In that sense, it’s always been somewhat between categories, not quite ‘fine art’, but not exactly ‘craft’ either. By emphasizing the qualities of the watercolor itself, and the ways in which it captures a particular time and place, Compton invites us to reconsider the relationship between materials, making, and the social meanings of art.