From Granada 1926

Walter Gramatté made this dreamy watercolor, From Granada, at some point during his short life. Look at how the simple washes of color evoke a sense of place! I imagine him standing there, squinting in the sun, dabbing at the paper, trying to capture the essence of the town. The light, almost cartoonish, sun feels warm and inviting. The way the sky and road bleed into each other suggests the heat rising off the surface. There's a lightness to his touch, and he’s allowing the watercolors to do their thing, mingling and mixing on the page, making the hard stone of the road and buildings look fluid. It reminds me a bit of Lyonel Feininger's architectural watercolors, but with a bit more of a naive, whimsical touch. Artists are always in conversation, you know? Taking notes from one another, building on what came before. It's not about getting every detail perfect, it's about capturing a feeling, a mood, a fleeting moment.