Bank of Commerce, 1890

This watercolor renders the Australian Bank of Commerce, Sydney, around 1890, almost entirely in sepia, save for one unmistakable exception: a bold red roof crowning the building, with a matching red line tracing the street awning below. The near-monochrome facade lets every architectural detail breathe, the columned windows, the ornate cornice, the carved figures along the roofline, while that single band of red pulls the eye straight to the building's grandest feature. Horse-drawn carriages wait quietly at the curb, small figures pass along the footpath, and the rest of the street fades into soft grey distance. It's a portrait in restraint, save for the one colour the artist refused to leave out.