In contrast to the 18th-century vedutisti painters (Canaletto, Guardi and others) who capture images of Venice down to the last detail, Sargent imparts an evanescent place, where shimmering light constantly changes not just the water but even the supposedly immobile structures.
WSJ: Fluid, Evanescent Images | John Singer Sargent Watercolors | Brooklyn Museum | By Tom L. Freudenheim