Bermuda Sky #1
Bermuda Sky #1 represents an example of Nickson’s powerful paintings of sunrises and sunsets in lush watercolor. His preferred subject matter and style were originally influenced by the English Romantic tradition of land- and waterscape painting embodied by nineteenth-century painters J. M. W. Turner and John Constable. Both artists pioneered the technique of painting outside of the studio, or en plein air, and were intrigued by the effects of natural light, foreshadowing the development of the Impressionist movement in France in the late eighteenth century. Both artists produced many works using watercolor. Nickson’s practice updates this tradition using almost unnaturally vivid colors. Indeed, his use of color might be considered the most definitive aspect of the artist’s practice and its truest and most enduring subject. The hyperbolic, almost psychedelic intensity of color in his work stands alone, suggesting a mystical presence without offering any clues as to the source of this power.
Artwork Details
- Title: Bermuda Sky #1
- Artist: Graham Nickson (British, Lancashire, England 1946–2025 New York)
- Date: 1998
- Medium: Watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: 9 × 12 in. (22.9 × 30.5 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Michael A. Rubenstein, from the collection of Michael A. and Juliet van Vliet Rubenstein, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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