The Red Flag, Venice, Italy 19th-20th century

Editor: This watercolor is called "The Red Flag, Venice, Italy," by Denman Waldo Ross, and it's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. I'm really drawn to the composition—the way the buildings fade into the background. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Note the artist’s careful application of pigment in washes, especially the contrast of the flag’s color and the facade of the buildings in the background. Ross uses the formal elements of color and form to create a vibrant, pictorial space. Editor: So, it's the formal qualities that make the piece stand out? Curator: Precisely. The interplay of light, shade, and color directs the eye and creates depth within the composition. I see formal elegance, don't you? Editor: I do now! I was so focused on the subject, I didn't notice how the color adds to the depth of the image. Curator: Focusing on the formal characteristics reveals a new understanding.