Sheet of Studies of Landscapes with Buildings c. 19th century

Curator: This is Rodolphe Bresdin's "Sheet of Studies of Landscapes with Buildings." Look at how the artist has captured these architectural forms in such a small space; its dimensions are just 7.8 by 12.3 centimeters. Editor: Wow, it feels like looking into a dream. A little hazy, almost like a memory surfacing. Curator: The preliminary nature of the drawing allows us to examine Bresdin’s compositional strategies. Note the clustered arrangements and the interplay of positive and negative space. Editor: It's restless, energetic, the marks almost vibrate off the page. Like he's channeling the landscape’s spirit. I wonder where he was when he captured this. Curator: A compelling question, given Bresdin's biography and the symbolic weight he often imbued in his landscapes. The graphic quality is heightened by the sepia tones of the paper. Editor: I feel a sense of place and of movement too, like things are coming into focus, or fading away. Makes you think about time. Curator: It certainly does, a fleeting moment made permanent through the artist's hand. Editor: Beautiful. This piece just pulled me in. I'd love to see the places depicted here.