Calle della Madonna (?) 1925

James McBey made this watercolor painting, Calle della Madonna (?), on paper at an unknown date. The marks are so casual and quick, you get the sense that McBey was more interested in capturing the light and atmosphere than in precise details. He’s not trying to trick you into thinking this is a photograph. The paint is applied in thin, washy layers, almost like a memory fading in and out. The palette is mostly muted grays and browns, but then you get these surprising pops of color – a hint of purple laundry hanging overhead, the salmon pink of a little girl’s dress – that bring the whole scene to life. Look at how he renders the figures, just a few quick strokes, but you still get a sense of their movement and presence. There’s a playful ambiguity in the way he suggests forms rather than defining them. This reminds me a bit of John Singer Sargent’s watercolors. Both artists had this incredible ability to capture a scene with such economy and confidence, making something beautiful out of what seems like very little.