Watercolors are no longer for children at the Baltimore Museum of Art's newest exhibit, Taking in the View: English Watercolor and Prints. Featuring pieces from the BMA's collection, in addition to a few new acquisitions, the exhibit brings together over 25 watercolors and prints from the mid-18th century that use different methods to depict the ever-classic landscape.
Landscapes were the favored subjects of many artists who fell into two distinct categories: those who chronicled topography and examined nature, and those who brought imaginary scenes to life with their work. Taking in the View features both styles and skillfully juxtaposes them. In one instance, a piece by the renowned animalier Robert Hills sits adjacent to a delicate print by Lady Elizabeth Templeton, who frequently depicted imagined domestic scenes.
Once watercolors became commercialized and mass-produced around 1760, watercolors became the champion choice for many landscapists who felt that the delicate nature of the paints allowed for the utmost of expressive power.
Additionally, watercolors were easier to carry and more forgiving than oil paint, qualities which permitted amateur painters to use watercolor with great success. Watercolor paintings were also easy to replicate and inexpensive to purchase, making art more accessible to the public.
As watercolors grew in popularity, especially as the medium of choice for landscapes, two schools of thought arose. In 1757, philosopher Edmund Burke claimed that nature was so powerful and noble that it would inherently produce a feeling of fear and "horror." The depiction of nature and the powerful and frightening became known as Sublime.
A number of years later, Reverend William Gilpin championed the notion that nature should always be beautiful and that every depiction of it should be picturesque. While Taking in the View does explore this matter, it does so only shallowly. It appears as though the BMA has acquired only what is picturesque.
The strength of the BMA exhibit is in the multitude of watercolor and lithograph techniques showcased. Beginning with the forerunner of watercolors, the exhibit displayed an aquatint by Paul Sandby called "Chirk Castle," which was produced through the mixture of water with sugar and ink. Sometimes wine extracts were also used in the combination.
A piece by Joseph Mallord William Turner, titled "Grenoble Bridge," used many layers of paint, both dry and wet washes, scraping and opaque color. Turner's skill is emphasized by the contrast of the sharp peasants with the ethereal reflection of the water.
Louise Rayner's "Fair Day at Chippenham" employs both opaque and translucent watercolor to accentuate her attention to minute detail. Her use of bright colors and graphite makes the busy market scene almost move with animation.
Curator Ann Shafer also aptly drew the otherwise nebulous connections between watercolor and prints. In many of the piece descriptions, particular care was taken to outline the methods the artists used in making the prints - the interaction between water and grease creates the lithograph, while the dilution of ink enables the artist with a subtler brush.
While only 25 prints are on display, which may seem like a disappointingly small number, the size does allow the exhibit to be contained in a single room, allowing for a more logical flow from piece to piece, with very little confusion as to where to turn next.
Taking in the View does a very fine job in illuminating the relatively unknown medium of watercolors. Not just a technique relegated to the corner of a child's playroom, the watercolor allows the artist a vast range of textures and expressions. While on the smaller side, this exhibit is a delightful exploration into the world of English landscapes.
Taking in the View: English Watercolors and Prints is on exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art until Dec. 7, 2008. Admission is free.
