Artwork
Stream in the Veneto
Stream in the Veneto is a watercolor work on paper by the Contemporary Realist artist Carole Robb. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
It's part of a set of fourteen works Robb made while traveling through Rome to Tivoli and the Veneto in 2003–04.
This watercolor shows a quiet stream in Italy's Veneto region. Carole Robb painted it in 2003. The work fits right in with the V&A's old Grand Tour watercolors from centuries ago.
It's part of a set of fourteen works Robb made while traveling through Rome to Tivoli and the Veneto in 2003–04. She studied at the British School in Rome in the 1970s and chose realistic styles over abstract art.
See more Grand Tour watercolors at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Stream in the Veneto is a watercolour by Carole Robb, created in 2003 during her travels through Italy. It is one of fourteen works documenting her journey from Rome to Tivoli and the Veneto.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a serene stream in Italy's Veneto region, likely in the Po Delta's fertile agricultural terrain. The artwork highlights the role of waterways in cultivating the land, with the stream's channelled water supporting crop growth and surrounding vegetation.
Technique & Style
Robb's style is characterized by a figurative approach, influenced by old master painting. The watercolour features uniform dabs of paint in the foreground, suggesting cultivated crops, and a lush shrub-like form on the far bank, emphasizing the landscape's fertility.
History & Provenance
Carole Robb studied at the British School in Rome in the 1970s, where she developed a preference for realistic representation over abstraction. The watercolour is part of the V&A's collection, joining a tradition of Grand Tour watercolours of Italy from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carole Robb painted delicate watercolours of Italian cityscapes and canals in the early 2000s.
