Springtime 

Kimon Loghi created this landscape in an unknown year, using watercolor on paper. A seemingly simple choice of materials, watercolor is often associated with sketching and preliminary studies, but it can be a medium of great subtlety. Loghi's approach here is all about the flow and blend of colors on the page, creating a composition that is both representational and evocative. Notice how the texture of the paper is integral to the overall effect, with the pigment settling into the fibers, creating a soft, diffuse quality. The quick, gestural brushstrokes that capture the fleeting beauty of springtime are also vital to the effect, conveying the immediacy of the artist's perception. While the subject matter may seem straightforward, the technique invites us to consider the artist's direct engagement with the natural world, and with the history of watercolor painting. It is a reminder that even the most humble materials can be used to create works of great depth and beauty, challenging our assumptions about what constitutes "high art".