The Lute 1904

Thomas Wilmer Dewing painted The Lute sometime in the late 19th century using oils on canvas. Dewing lays down color like he’s whispering, soft and hushed; greens and grays blend so seamlessly they're almost not there. It's as though the canvas itself is breathing. I love how the forms emerge through these subtle shifts in tone, like memories surfacing from the mist. Look closely at how the figures are situated in the landscape; they're present, but also disappearing. Their dresses almost melt into the verdant ground, and Dewing has used very delicate brushstrokes to render them. This creates a sense of harmony and dissolution. It makes me think of Whistler, whose tonalist paintings also embrace ambiguity and celebrate the ephemeral beauty of the natural world. Art is a conversation, and Dewing is right in the middle of it!