Landscape in Maine 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have Henry Hitchings' "Landscape in Maine". We don't have a precise date for it, but Hitchings lived from 1824 to 1902. Editor: It evokes a sense of quiet melancholy. The stark contrast between the bare tree and the subtle details elsewhere…there’s a real stillness to it. Curator: Hitchings was working during a time of rapid industrial expansion. Landscapes became powerful symbols of an imagined unspoiled past. Think of the Hudson River School. Editor: The felled tree in the foreground emphasizes that tension, doesn’t it? The natural world, seemingly untouched, but also clearly impacted by human activity. The drawing really speaks to environmental issues that were emerging even then. Curator: Yes, and this work, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, would have circulated within a specific social and cultural milieu. Editor: It makes you wonder about the intended audience, and the values and beliefs they held about nature and progress. It certainly gives us a lot to think about. Curator: Indeed. The piece offers a unique window into the evolving perception of the American landscape during a transformative era.