Neptune (rotated)

Deep blues and shadowy greys tumble across this canvas like water stirred up in the dark. Catherine de Potter called it "Neptune," borrowing the name of the Roman god who ruled the seas, and the choice makes sense the moment you settle into it. Streaks of brown and pale mist push through the gloom, hinting at foam on a wave or clouds drifting over a black sky. Nothing here has a firm edge or shape. The painting is all motion and atmosphere, leaving plenty of room for your imagination to fill in the rest.

De Potter made this work in 2010, and it sits comfortably in the tradition of abstract art, where mood carries more weight than any recognizable object. Her brushwork is soft and layered, giving the whole surface a hazy, smoky feel. A curious detail hides in the title itself: the canvas has been turned, so we may be viewing it differently than she first painted it. That leaves a playful puzzle behind. Are we peering into a stormy ocean, a starless night, or somewhere that exists only in the paint? De Potter hands that decision over to you.