Street in Seville 1905

Charles Conder painted this little watercolor, *Street in Seville*, on paper; its size is deceptive, because it's got a huge amount of atmosphere packed into it. The colors are muted, like a faded photograph, but it's the brushwork that really grabs me. Conder's got these quick, broken strokes, almost like he's scribbling with the paint. They build up this sense of light and movement, a fleeting impression of a busy street. Look closely at the way he suggests figures – just a few dabs and flicks, but they totally read as people bustling about. That looseness is what makes this painting sing. It's not about precise details, but more about capturing the feeling of a place. It reminds me of the watercolors of John Singer Sargent, who was also all about that immediate, impressionistic approach. It's art as a process, where the artist is trying to catch something elusive, and we, as viewers, get to participate in the act of seeing.