Boats at Sotto Marino

Presumably the red and tawny sails of the Venetian cargo boats do not always flaunt themselves in the sun. But when they do, Edgar Payne’s eye and brush are in swift pursuit. An impressionistic colorist, he has no taste for bare masts. So here we come upon rectangular sails against a greenish sky and the tawny buildings of Sotto Marino. Below the brilliant hulls of the boats are undulating green waters. The lines of the composition are simple and powerful.