Bermuda, Stairway 1917

Charles Demuth made "Bermuda, Stairway" with watercolor and graphite, and what I love about watercolor is its capacity for translucence. Demuth understood this well, layering washes of color to create depth and light. There’s a delicate balance between representation and abstraction. He reduces architectural forms to geometric shapes, yet the stairway is still recognizable. The color palette is muted, mostly earth tones, but each hue feels carefully chosen. Look closely at the interplay between the linear graphite marks and the soft edges of the watercolor. Notice how the combination of the two elements creates a sense of precision, while also letting the medium breathe and flow freely. Demuth seemed fascinated by the way light interacts with surfaces. His approach reminds me of some of the early Cubist works by Picasso, but with a distinctly American sensibility. You can feel his fascination with the geometry of the modern world. It's an image that lingers in the mind, like a half-remembered dream.