Near Sorrento

Near Sorrento, painted in 1863 in watercolour and in the Birmingham Museums Trust, is one of the relatively rare watercolour works in Brett's primarily oil-based output, executed during his Italian journey of that year. Sorrento on the Gulf of Naples offered Brett both the intense Mediterranean light and the dramatic coastal geology of the Sorrentine Peninsula — a combination perfectly suited to his interests. The use of watercolour may reflect the practical advantages of the medium for rapid outdoor sketching in hot weather, or a conscious decision to work within the British tradition of watercolour landscape that was distinct from the oil painting that had made his reputation. The Birmingham Museums Trust's holding of this work alongside other Brett pieces allows comparison between his watercolour and oil approaches.

Watercolour demands different technical strategies from Brett's habitual oils — the medium's transparency and the need to preserve white paper for highlights require reversed working methods. The Mediterranean palette — brighter, more saturated colours than northern European light demands — suits watercolour's capacity for luminous, sun-filled washes. The medium may have encouraged a slightly looser touch than his oil paintings.