San Giorgio, Grey Day, Venice 1911

Clarence Gagnon made this atmospheric painting of Venice, likely en plein air, with oils. The dominant blues and whites are applied with such energetic brushstrokes, they almost feel like the weather itself! I wonder what it was like for Gagnon, standing before this vista with his easel and brushes. The sky has these big, dramatic strokes, like he’s really feeling the weight of those clouds. Notice how thick the paint is in places, especially in the water – you can almost feel the chop of the waves. And that little splash of white on the rock – it’s like a tiny beacon, drawing your eye in. The blues speak to something somber, but it's tempered by the creamy whites. There is a tradition here, an ongoing visual conversation amongst painters about the sublime and the everyday. I see Turner in this, maybe Whistler too, all riffing on Venice, light, and water. It’s all about feeling, not just seeing, right? I can almost smell the sea!