La porte Saint-Martin 1898

Frédéric Houbron’s watercolor, La porte Saint-Martin, shows us a bustling street scene. The artist’s choice of watercolor is significant, because it’s a medium associated with quick sketches and impressions of scenes witnessed in daily life. Think of watercolor’s inherent fluidity, and how it lends itself to depicting the dynamism of this rapidly modernizing city. The blurred edges of the buildings and the indistinct figures create a sense of constant movement. The artist skillfully layers washes of color to capture the light filtering through the Parisian atmosphere. Look closely, and you’ll see how Houbron uses delicate brushstrokes to suggest the textures of the architecture, and the clothing of the passersby. This approach elevates a common scene to a higher form. It demands that we look past the subject matter, and appreciate the artist's skill in transforming ordinary materials into something extraordinary.