Small Church, Orizaba, Mexico 1896

Editor: This watercolor is "Small Church, Orizaba, Mexico" by Denman Waldo Ross. I find the buildings very beautiful. What can you tell me about it? Curator: It's interesting to consider this work in the context of US-Mexico relations. How might Ross, as an American artist, have viewed and represented this Mexican landscape? Was he conscious of the power dynamics at play? Editor: So, you're saying that it's not just a pretty picture, but that it might reflect a colonial perspective? Curator: Precisely. The composition itself, the way the church dominates the scene, could be interpreted as a visual assertion of cultural or religious dominance. Does that shift your understanding of the image? Editor: It makes me think about what's not being shown, about whose stories are being left out. Thanks. Curator: It highlights the importance of questioning the narratives embedded within seemingly simple landscapes.