Paris 1907

Kmetty János made this watercolor painting, titled 'Paris', with delicate washes that feel like a memory of a place rather than a depiction. The colours aren't quite true, giving the scene a slightly melancholic air. Look at the way the washes pool and blend, creating soft edges. It’s as if János is less interested in rendering what he sees and more in capturing a feeling, a fleeting moment in a park. The paint is thin, almost translucent, letting the texture of the paper peek through, and in the foreground you can see the subtle strokes he uses to build the form of the path, using gentle curves to make the eye travel through the scene. This reminds me a little of Raoul Dufy, who shared that joy in translating the world around him with simple playful marks. Like a half remembered dream, paintings like these invite us to slow down and let our minds wander.