Artist: Katharine Jowett
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Creation Year: May 31, 1922
Dimensions: 10 x 7 inches
Style: Impressionist
Period: Early 20th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This delicate watercolor, Boats on the Water from Yii Keo by Katharine Jowett (1883–1972), reflects her sensitivity to everyday life in China and her ability to capture fleeting moments with quiet grace. Painted during her years living in Beijing and traveling through the region, this work shows a cluster of traditional wooden boats moored along the water’s edge, their tall masts rising vertically and mirrored in the rippling reflections below.
Jowett’s restrained yet expressive brushwork emphasizes both the solidity of the vessels and the shimmering quality of water. The muted palette of browns, golds, and grays conveys a sense of harmony between man-made craft and natural surroundings, while the mountain backdrop situates the scene in a distinctly Chinese landscape.
As with many of her works, Jowett combines Western watercolor technique with a deep respect for her subject matter, presenting a scene that is both documentary and atmospheric. Boats on the Water from Yii Keo stands as an elegant record of local life in early 20th-century China, offering collectors a rare glimpse into her unique vision of East–West artistic exchange.
Artist: Katharine Jowett
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Creation Year: May 31, 1922
Dimensions: 10 x 7 inches
Style: Impressionist
Period: Early 20th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This delicate watercolor, Boats on the Water from Yii Keo by Katharine Jowett (1883–1972), reflects her sensitivity to everyday life in China and her ability to capture fleeting moments with quiet grace. Painted during her years living in Beijing and traveling through the region, this work shows a cluster of traditional wooden boats moored along the water’s edge, their tall masts rising vertically and mirrored in the rippling reflections below.
Jowett’s restrained yet expressive brushwork emphasizes both the solidity of the vessels and the shimmering quality of water. The muted palette of browns, golds, and grays conveys a sense of harmony between man-made craft and natural surroundings, while the mountain backdrop situates the scene in a distinctly Chinese landscape.
As with many of her works, Jowett combines Western watercolor technique with a deep respect for her subject matter, presenting a scene that is both documentary and atmospheric. Boats on the Water from Yii Keo stands as an elegant record of local life in early 20th-century China, offering collectors a rare glimpse into her unique vision of East–West artistic exchange.
