Sunrise in the Catskills 1826

Curator: Ah, there it is. Thomas Cole’s “Sunrise in the Catskills,” dating back to 1826. Editor: Immediately striking, isn't it? That dawn light, almost a shy whisper on the horizon...and the scale! Those mountains make me feel impossibly small, like a stray button lost in the upholstery of the world. Curator: He certainly knew how to evoke the sublime. Cole, a key figure in the Hudson River School, painted these vistas with a spiritual lens, seeing God's hand in the wilderness. I wonder what sort of underpainting techniques he might have used to capture this scene in oils. Editor: And how dependent was he on certain pigments available at the time to get the correct lighting effect? Knowing that the colours we see today would have changed over the years. And also think about how he may have transported paints into these somewhat inaccessible regions. Curator: Indeed! His technical skill is remarkable, consider that detail in the foreground – every leaf seems painstakingly rendered! Yet the true magic lies in his interpretation of light; the sun breaks with hope over the peaks... it’s so moving! It’s a testament to a nascent American identity grappling with its vast, untamed landscapes. Editor: Yes! But think of what wasn’t captured, or the workers producing the materials and pigments; from the sourcing of raw materials to their refining and manufacturing… Where are these figures in these sublime American vistas? It prompts questions about whose stories are prioritized. Curator: An excellent point—and that very tension between celebrating unspoiled nature while participating in industrialization defined so much of 19th-century American art. The smoke, which at a cursory glance appears like soft fog or morning mist might tell another tale when interpreted. What can’t or won’t be put on the canvas might sometimes say more. Editor: Absolutely! It underscores how our reading of Cole, even almost 200 years on, must engage with how land use, industrial material production and labour are inextricably woven into our vision of ‘untouched nature’ within these Hudson River School scenes. Curator: What do you make of the mood now that we are considering these extra layers? Do you find that knowledge changes your perspective? Editor: Indeed. We can use the same artwork and use our understanding of materials to shift and enrich perspective in both negative and positive ways. Curator: Yes... seeing beyond the beautiful facade into the deeper layers. Cole, I think, would appreciate this dialogue, even if it challenges the original intent of his landscapes. Thank you! Editor: And thank you! It is always a good experience when materiality is brought into question within the more romantic or emotional narratives behind iconic artworks.