Hitching Post c. 1939

George E. Rhone created this watercolor, Hitching Post, on paper, and you can almost feel the process, the layering of washes, the way colors bleed and blend. Up close, you see how the red jacket isn’t just red; it’s built from many strokes, creating a sort of shimmering texture. Look at how the artist plays with opacity, letting the white of the paper peek through in places, giving a sense of light and shadow. And the figure itself, this little man holding a ring, seems to emerge from the paper, each brushstroke contributing to his form and presence. I love the way the paint feels both controlled and loose. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, in the sense of reducing form to color and shape. Of course, Rhone has a very different subject matter here, but that tension between representation and abstraction, that’s what keeps me coming back. It invites you to look, and then look again, finding something new each time.