Lake Mollychunkemuuk with Boat and Fallen Tree 1878

Editor: This is Benjamin Champney’s pencil drawing, "Lake Mollychunkemuuk with Boat and Fallen Tree." It feels very peaceful, almost nostalgic. What do you see in it? Curator: I see a romanticized view of nature, yet it's incomplete without acknowledging the displacement and erasure of Indigenous peoples that often accompanied this aesthetic. Can we truly appreciate its beauty without considering whose land this is? Editor: I never thought of it that way. So, is it about confronting the history behind the image? Curator: Precisely. This drawing becomes a starting point to investigate the narratives of colonialism embedded within landscape art. What does it mean to idealize nature when that ideal comes at a cost? Editor: It really changes how I see it, adding layers of history. Curator: Indeed, art often asks us to question what's presented and consider what's been left out.