Landscape, Avila, Spain 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Landscape, Avila, Spain," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The city seems to float, doesn't it? Like a mirage rising from the paper. Curator: Ross uses subtle pencil strokes. Consider the texture of that paper—it's almost as if he's capturing the dryness of the Spanish landscape itself, the heat rising. Editor: Yes, and look at the marks he makes to indicate the structures: utilitarian, simple, but they speak volumes about the lives lived within those walls. Curator: It does evoke a sense of place, doesn't it? A quiet observation made with very minimal gestures. Editor: A record of a moment, using the barest of means. It's really about the interaction between the artist, his materials, and his subject. Curator: It's a lovely reminder that sometimes, less truly is more. Editor: Exactly. It leaves you thinking about what Avila really means, in graphite and in history.