The Yellow Sand 

Arthur Hughes created ‘The Yellow Sand’ using watercolour to capture a coastal scene with a palette of soft blues, greens, and the titular yellow. The composition balances the static solidity of the rocks against the dynamic movement of the waves and birds. Hughes destabilizes traditional landscape painting by employing an asymmetrical structure, emphasizing the foreground and thus inviting the viewer into the liminal space where land meets the turbulent sea. The brushwork is loose, particularly in the water, suggesting a concern with capturing fleeting impressions of light and atmosphere. The yellow sand in the foreground anchors the composition, and this singular horizontal band subverts the conventional picturesque expectations. Overall, Hughes presents us with a meditation on the transient qualities of nature.