Reflections, banks and silent horizons

From the small wooded pond to the large mountain lake, the still water transforms the landscape into a space of reflection, depth and contemplation.

The lake and the pond impose a double construction on the painter: representing the world and its reflection. A shore can close the space like a natural theater, while a large lake opens the horizon towards the mountains and the sky. Depending on the era, water serves as a setting for walks, religious stories, topographical study or the almost abstract search for light. European, American and Japanese painters play with symmetry, undulations, trees and weather variations. The motif thus offers remarkable diversity, from the classic precision of the Italian lake to the free touch of a modern pond. European, American and Japanese painters play with symmetry, undulations, trees and weather variations. The motif thus offers remarkable diversity, from the classic precision of the Italian lake to the free touch of a modern pond. European, American and Japanese painters play with symmetry, undulations, trees and weather variations. The motif thus offers remarkable diversity, from the classic precision of the Italian lake to the free touch of a modern pond. The "Lake and pond landscapes" selection notably compares Casa de Campo Pond and Retiro Pond. Its reading favors details.

In front of a lake, the landscape can be looked at twice: in the depth of space and on the surface of the reflection.