Gezicht op de Maas bij Rotterdam 1902

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande made this watercolor of the Maas River near Rotterdam in 1902. Just imagine him standing there by the river with his tiny box of paints and water, trying to capture the light on the water. The colors are so muted, grays and blues and browns, but somehow they make you feel the chill of the air and the dampness of the water. See how the brushstrokes are so loose and free, almost like he's sketching with the paint? Look at how the boats in the foreground are heavy with dark color while the sailboats in the distance are light and airy. He's capturing a fleeting moment, a feeling, more than a precise image. I bet he learned a lot from the Impressionists and maybe he admired Whistler's hazy, atmospheric paintings. Painters are always looking at other painters' work, taking ideas, and then doing their own thing with them. It’s a constant conversation. And that's what makes painting so alive, there's always more to see.