Barges on a River

Barges on a River from 1826 demonstrates Bonington's ability to find painterly interest in ordinary working vessels. His fresh, luminous treatment of everyday subjects influenced the Barbizon painters and through them the Impressionists, who admired his direct approach to light and atmosphere. Bonington's technique in watercolor and oil was notably fresh and spontaneous, capturing light and atmosphere with a directness that anticipated the Impressionists; Delacroix called him 'the master of ligh

The boats and water are painted with fluid economy, the atmospheric conditions captured through transparent layers of color that create a convincing sense of moisture-laden air.