Seated Figures in a Landscape; verso: Partial Landscape with Saco River, New Hampshire Possibly 1859

Editor: This is Benjamin Champney's pencil sketch, "Seated Figures in a Landscape," created sometime in the 19th century. It's a small, delicate work, showing figures with umbrellas on a hilltop. What draws my eye is the visible evidence of the artist's hand and the immediacy of the sketch. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Considering Champney's process, note the accessibility of pencil and paper, allowing for plein air creation reflecting emerging leisure culture. The sketch's materiality— graphite on paper—speaks to the shift in artistic production and consumption. How does it relate to the social context of the time, think of consumerism, class and gender? Editor: It's interesting to consider how something so simple as a pencil sketch connects to larger social and economic shifts. I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on the materials and means of production, we uncover the artwork’s relationship to broader historical and cultural forces.