Rooftops and Trees 1918

Charles Demuth made "Rooftops and Trees" with watercolor and graphite, so you already get the sense of process and flow. Demuth wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing. It’s all about the surface in this one. The watercolor is so fluid and transparent, it almost feels like a dream. There's a lovely balance between the sharp, architectural lines of the rooftops and the soft, organic shapes of the trees. Look at the way he renders the trees. See how the leaves are just suggestions, little dabs of green and blue, evoking the essence of foliage without getting bogged down in detail. It feels free and spontaneous. Demuth was part of the Precisionist movement, but he had a poetic side too. Like Georgia O'Keeffe, he found ways to bring a sense of abstraction and emotional depth to his work. It’s this back and forth that makes his work so enduring. It's never just one thing. It’s always a little bit of everything.