Girl in an evening shirt 1878

Tranquillo Cremona painted this watercolor study of a girl in an evening shirt in the late 19th century. The seemingly spontaneous washes and transparent layers of color are typical of the artist's distinctive style. Cremona’s innovative approach to color and light owes much to his working method. He developed a personal technique for oil and watercolor, focusing on the optical effects of color, and the dissolution of firm contours in favor of luminous, atmospheric effects. The artist would build up layers of thin paint, one over another, to create a shimmering, vibrant surface. He did so with great speed, giving his finished works a striking immediacy. This emphasis on the ephemeral, and fleeting quality of light is not dissimilar to the aesthetic goals of the Impressionists. And yet, Cremona’s process, so clearly evident in the finished painting, also aligns him with broader trends in Italian art, moving away from academic precision towards something more elusive. By understanding the artist’s process, we can more fully appreciate his intentions.