Vesuvius in Eruption 1839

Editor: This is Clarkson Stanfield’s watercolor, Vesuvius in Eruption. It's small, but the eruption seems so imposing! What’s striking to you about this work? Curator: Well, I see the raw materials first. Stanfield's choice of watercolor—cheap, portable—speaks to its function. Was this a preparatory sketch? A souvenir for the burgeoning tourist trade? Consider the labor involved in its creation and its intended market. Editor: That's a different angle than I considered! Curator: The size too. Its dimensions suggests that it could be easily transported and traded. It makes you think about the role of art in a developing market economy. Editor: Fascinating. I hadn’t thought about the economics of artmaking and distribution in this way. Curator: Thinking about the materiality of art can open up new ways of understanding its meaning.