On the Street 1914

August Macke made this watercolour painting, "On the Street," at some point in his short life. I love the way Macke uses these blotchy, semi-transparent colours. The whole piece feels like a memory or a fleeting impression. Look at the way he’s used the brush, almost like he’s dabbing paint onto the surface. There's a looseness to the way he’s painted the figures, their faces are obscured, but their red hats make them pop. The whole composition feels almost like a puzzle. Macke’s clearly interested in the materiality of paint and the accidental effects that can arise when you let the medium do its thing. I'm thinking of other expressionists, like Emil Nolde, who used watercolour in similar ways. Ultimately, this painting reminds us that art is about more than just representation, it’s about capturing a feeling or an idea, and about opening up a space of possibility, and imbuing everyday scenes with mystery.