Angus McEwan - Lazy Afternoon at San Marco Original Watercolour

A finely observed original watercolour by acclaimed Scottish artist Angus McEwan, depicting the façade of St Mark's Basilica and the bustling Piazza San Marco in Venice.

McEwan combines precise architectural drawing with beautifully controlled washes of colour, capturing the ornate arches, domes and mosaics of the basilica while allowing the crowds below to dissolve into a much looser rhythm of figures and reflections. The warm ochres and soft blues of the architecture are balanced by the broad, cool foreground, giving the scene both depth and atmosphere.

Rather than presenting Venice as a polished postcard view, McEwan concentrates on texture, structure and the lived character of the square. The intricate façade remains carefully articulated while the passing crowd becomes almost abstract at distance, giving the composition the sense of a fleeting afternoon moment.

Details

• Artist: Angus McEwan PRSW RWS AWS NWS AWI RGI (Scottish, b.1963)
• Title: Lazy Afternoon at San Marco
• Medium: Watercolour and pencil on paper
• Signature: Signed lower right
• Artwork: 30 × 28 cm (11.8 × 11.0 in)
• Framed: 46 × 45 cm (18.1 × 17.7 in)
• Presentation: Mounted, framed and under glass
• Labels: Artist's label verso; Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh label verso
• Gallery label dimensions: 28 × 27 cm
• Condition: Very good

San Marco, Venice

The work depicts the façade of St Mark's Basilica and the activity of Piazza San Marco. McEwan's handling balances the intricate architectural character of the basilica with looser passages describing the movement of people across the square, creating a convincing sense of atmosphere rather than a purely topographical record.

The work retains both the artist's own label and an Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh label verso. The Open Eye Gallery label records the work as watercolour and pencil on paper and gives dimensions of 28 × 27 cm.

About the Artist

Angus McEwan was born in Dundee in 1963 and studied Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and at Northern College of Education in Aberdeen. He has established an international reputation for highly detailed watercolours exploring architecture, weathered surfaces, interiors and the effects of light.

McEwan was elected to the Royal Watercolour Society in 2012 and is also a member of leading British and international watercolour and art societies. His work has been exhibited extensively in Britain and internationally. He continues to be represented by the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh, where his work forms part of the gallery's contemporary Scottish programme.