Eastern Landscape 1843

Editor: Here we have William James Müller’s "Eastern Landscape." The figures and the land seem so tangible. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: I see here a clear depiction of production. Consider the labor involved in creating the textiles worn by the figures, the sourcing of the pigments to create this painting, and the consumption of idealized Eastern landscapes by the British public. How does Müller's process reflect the broader social context of the time? Editor: So it's less about the landscape itself, and more about how its image was manufactured and consumed? Fascinating. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on the materiality and process, we uncover the complex layers of meaning embedded within this seemingly simple landscape. Editor: That's a completely different lens than I would have used. Thanks for the perspective!