Untitled (The Sand Bar) 1943

Joseph De Martini made this untitled painting of a sandbar in the early to mid 20th century, and it looks like he used gouache to do it. There’s a real freedom to De Martini’s brushstrokes, a kind of improvisational feel, you know? The paint isn’t overly thick, but you can definitely see the marks and gestures he made. Look at the way he defines the rocks in the foreground, it's like he lets the shape emerge as he's pushing the paint around. The light here, it’s not so much about direct sunlight but more about the cool, damp atmosphere. The figures on the beach are rendered with a few simple strokes, just enough to suggest their presence. There's something about this that reminds me of Milton Avery. It’s like he’s capturing a fleeting moment, a memory of a day at the beach that’s both familiar and dreamlike. It's a great example of how painting can hold onto a feeling, an atmosphere, without getting bogged down in details.