Coast Of Sweden

The Swedish coast, with its rocky islands and North Sea light, gave Bone a Northern European subject that matched his tonal sensibility. The watercolor and graphite combination allowed him to capture the precise geometry of coastal rock formations while the watercolor overlay provided the atmospheric moisture and gray light that characterize Scandinavian coastal scenery. The result is a landscape that is simultaneously topographic and atmospheric — a document of a specific place and a study of a specific quality of light.

Bone's Nordic subjects are less well known than his British, French, and Spanish work, but they demonstrate his ability to adapt his technique to any atmospheric condition. The cool gray light of the Swedish coast required a different palette than the warm sunlight of Andalusia, and Bone responded by reducing his color range and increasing his reliance on graphite's tonal subtlety.

Coast of Sweden is Bone proving that his technique works in any light. The gray atmosphere of the North Sea coast demands a different approach than Mediterranean sunshine, and Bone delivers — the graphite does the structural work while the watercolor provides just enough atmosphere to make the coast feel cold, wet, and real.