Mawddach Falls near Dolgelly
1790
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1790
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This watercolor shows rocky cliffs beside a rushing river. The light hits the water just right—bright where it sprays, dark in the shadows. You can almost hear the falls from how the artist painted the water’s rush. It’s painted over pencil marks. That’s called glazing—layering thin washes to build depth. The artist did this outside, not in a studio, to catch the scene as it happened. Try the same view today at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
