Landscape, Aegina, Greece 1893

Editor: Robert David Gauley’s watercolor, Landscape, Aegina, Greece, is quite striking. The washes of blues and greens create such a hazy atmosphere. What formal elements stand out to you? Curator: The composition is remarkably flattened, wouldn't you agree? The artist employs a limited palette, focusing instead on tonal variations to suggest depth and distance. Note how the layering of washes builds a sense of atmospheric perspective. Editor: It’s interesting that you see flattening. I felt drawn in by the gradations of color. I’m starting to see how those gradations also flatten the view, though. Curator: Precisely. The artist uses color as a structural element, rather than for representational accuracy. It’s in the formal restraint that its power resides. Editor: I see that now. Thanks for highlighting the structural use of color! Curator: My pleasure. It’s a work that rewards close attention to its formal qualities.