Rivers and Torrents: Oil Sketches

By the start of the nineteenth century, the practice of using oil paint on paper while working outdoors became standard practice among landscape artists. Studies of water emerged as a recurrent motif for painters. In all its guises—rivers, streams, fountains, torrents, and waterfalls—water posed a challenge for artists  learning to capture light, color, and texture in oils. Vast landscapes offered the opportunity for prolonged study, while rushing water encouraged artists to grapple with depicting movement and the ephemeral effects of light and atmosphere. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.