Cathedral Tower, Gerona 

Muirhead Bone’s “Cathedral Tower, Gerona” is made using watercolor and pen on paper, a far cry from the heavy stone and mortar used to build the imposing cathedral. Bone’s choice of medium allows for a quick, light rendering, capturing the essence of the scene with minimal fuss. You can almost feel the artist on location, rapidly sketching the scene before him. Look closely, and you can see the delicate strokes of the pen defining the architectural details, contrasted with the broad washes of watercolor that give the sky its airy quality. While the cathedral itself speaks to centuries of labor and devotion, Bone's artwork highlights a shift in artistic practice. The ease of watercolor and pen allowed artists to capture fleeting moments and scenes, democratizing artmaking and moving it away from the exclusive domain of large-scale, commissioned works, making art more accessible and immediate. This piece sits at the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and a modern sensibility.