Pond Lilies 1908

Robert Lewis Reid painted ‘Pond Lilies’ with oil on canvas at the turn of the century, and what strikes me first is the tenderness of its pastel palette. It feels like a daydream made visible. The way the paint is applied in small, flickering strokes, almost like confetti, adds to this ethereal quality. Look at the way the light catches the folds of her blue dress, each dab of paint a conscious decision, a process of building form through color. The texture isn't about creating a smooth surface; it's about capturing the light and air, the fleeting moment. It's like Reid is saying, 'Painting isn't about replicating reality, but about feeling it.' Painters like Berthe Morisot come to mind when I look at this. There’s a similar interest in capturing the transient beauty of everyday life, and a willingness to embrace the ambiguities of paint, allowing it to suggest rather than define. ‘Pond Lilies’ reminds us that art is always a conversation, a dialogue across time.