Dawn at Riera de Sant Joan 1903

Pablo Picasso created *Dawn at Riera de Sant Joan* using oil paint to depict the architecture in the town of Horta de San Joan. Look at the bold brushstrokes of blue. Notice the overall tonality of this work. It’s as if the artist has captured the very essence of a twilight scene, where light and shadow dance in quiet harmony. You get the impression of the weight and texture of the building. The building seems to loom toward the viewer. I imagine him standing before the canvas, brush in hand, capturing the image before him. It is so early in the morning that all you can see are shades of blue. Maybe Picasso sought to capture not just the image of the town but also a feeling, an experience, a moment suspended in time. It reminds me of Cezanne, who painted the same mountain over and over again. It seems artists can't help but respond to one another's vision across the ages.