Aaron April’s watercolors are celebrated for their remarkable depth and luminosity, frequently featured in exhibitions alongside his commanding oil paintings. Defying the conventional notion that watercolors must be executed quickly, April often dedicated significant time to these works—sometimes even more than to his oils—allowing for an extraordinary richness and complexity. His status as a significant watercolorist was powerfully affirmed by his notable 2002 exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.
Within this versatile medium, April explored an extensive range of subjects, including profound spiritual themes, evocative landscapes, and intricate allegorical compositions. He was particularly lauded for his seamless ability to blend figurative and abstract elements with precise tact, demonstrating a nuanced mastery unique to his vision. Critics consistently praise his exceptional skill in rendering light and subtle color nuances, observing how his watercolors convey an “internal light carried by the pigment itself” and the mesmerizing “melting desert colors.” This exquisite effect, achieved in watercolor, was often considered more refined than oil for capturing the delicate, almost ethereal luminosity of the southern Israeli landscape. Masterpieces like “On the Eve of Shabbat. Converging on the Wailing Wall” (1993) stand as prime examples, showcasing his “amazing precision” in depicting both architectural structures and intricate figures with breathtaking clarity.
A profound and distinct cornerstone of Aaron April’s oeuvre is his dedicated series inspired by the “Song of Songs.” This body of work, so significant that it warranted its own exhibition catalog in 1982-1983 (featuring an introduction by Felix Roziner and a letter from the artist), stands as a testament to April’s ability to translate ancient poetry into vibrant visual meditations.
April’s interpretations in this series are described as being in perfect accord with the beautiful biblical verses, inviting the observer to discover their own profound associations within the Old Testament imagery presented on canvas. These paintings are not merely illustrations; they are deep visual ponderings about life and love.
Felix Roziner eloquently describes these paintings as featuring “lovely feminine forms lit by an inner light, dissolved in the transparent watercolor.” This “inner light lives on beautiful profiles and naked bodies, shimmering and vibrating near the elusive brink,” powerfully echoing the poetic lines of the Song of Songs.
Roziner further illuminates the intricate structure beneath the seemingly free variations within the series, comparing the “Locked Garden” tetraptych to a Bach fugue. He highlights an “uninterrupted development of three ‘voices’: colour, line and the compositional equilibrium of the figure,” revealing a meticulously planned harmony and entirety that enriches the viewer’s experience.
April himself acknowledged his continuous return to the “Song of Songs” as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, underscoring the deep personal and artistic significance of this remarkable series.
