Page 280 - Eye of the beholder

Nevertheless an element that captures the viewers’ imagination is Week’s rendering of a tropical light. The rays of the sun fall bright on the building at the left, while the right side of the composition is in shadow. Interestingly the building in the far background is delineated as though surrounded by a mid day bright haze. In capturing these impressions, Week displays his skilled dexterity and artistry in bringing alive such capricious moments of light, which remains as elusive as ever. The potential of his talent is demonstrated in rendering the crowd. There is not a silent moment in the picture. It is a busy morning for the traders and the people who have come shopping.
His love of architecture manifests in the details that are apparent in the buildings to the left. There is a dominant use of wood as made obvious in the number of windows which are half open and closed as well as the projecting balconies that are carried on slim struts. At the ground floor level, the shops are protected from the sun by cloth canopies supported on poles, placed at an angle, a make shift arrangement that is economical and functional as well. A representation of a shack can be seen on the left next to the tall building. Between this shack and the building in the background is a large foliated tree, which breaks the monotony of architecture and the crowd. A well thought out element as a matter of fact that infuses a point of interest in the composition.
Week in this painting as part of Oriental Scenery has demonstrated his sensibility, carrying as his memory baggage the sights and sounds of many Near eastern countries as Egypt and Morocco. The painting at a glance gives that feel, but the close scrutiny of the people represented gives it an Indian context.
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