Niagara Falls (American Falls) 1878

Editor: So, this is William Morris's "Niagara Falls (American Falls)." It's undated, and done in pastel over graphite. It gives me this overwhelming sense of…mist. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's funny you say mist, because to me it's like a memory fading, isn’t it? The Falls rendered in this soft, ephemeral way, as if Morris were recalling a powerful experience rather than documenting a scene. Notice how he uses the pastel to almost blur the lines between the water and the sky. Editor: That's a great point! It really softens the power of the falls. Curator: Exactly! It's about feeling, not just seeing. The sublime, perhaps? So, what do you think it might mean that the work is unsigned, or undated? Editor: Maybe it was a sketch, not meant for a formal exhibition? Curator: Perhaps. It does have the feeling of a study of light. Editor: I see that now! Thank you. Curator: My pleasure! Looking closer can bring such a change in perspective.