Venice, Italy 19th-20th century

Curator: This watercolor is Denman Waldo Ross's "Venice, Italy," held here at the Harvard Art Museums, small enough to fit in your hand, really. Editor: It feels like a memory. Washed out, gentle, almost like a dream of Venice instead of the real thing. Curator: Exactly. Ross was deeply interested in color theory, using a limited palette to evoke atmosphere. Note how the blues and pinks blend. Editor: The way the buildings shimmer pink against that intense sky... it's as if the city itself is blushing. Curator: Perhaps he aimed to capture Venice's ephemeral beauty, its fragility as it meets the water. Editor: I think so. It makes you want to hold onto it, doesn't it? Curator: It does. An intimate portrayal, one that stays with you. Editor: A whisper of a place, beautifully rendered.