Marrakech. View from the terrace at the Atlas Mountains 1928

Zinaida Serebriakova made this watercolour view of Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains. The palette is like a sun-bleached memory, all ochres, browns, and muted greys, laid down in washes that feel both immediate and dreamlike. The Atlas Mountains hover in the distance, their peaks captured with strokes so light they could almost be mistaken for clouds. Look at the rooftops in the foreground, each one a slightly different shade, catching the light in its own way. Serebriakova’s touch is confident, but there's also a sense of searching, of finding the essence of a place through the act of painting. The way she's handled the light here is remarkable. It's not just about rendering what she sees, but about capturing the feeling of being there, bathed in the Moroccan sun. It reminds me a little of John Singer Sargent, but with a softer, more personal touch. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.