Venice 19th-20th century

Editor: This is "Venice" by Denman Waldo Ross. The brushstrokes are so light and airy, creating a beautiful, almost dreamlike scene. How might the cultural context of Venice influence the artist's portrayal? Curator: Venice, as a subject, carries significant weight. Its artistic representation, particularly during Ross's time, often invoked ideas of romanticism, decline, and exoticism. The painting's public role becomes one of constructing or perpetuating these narratives. Does the composition reinforce or subvert those expectations, do you think? Editor: I think it reinforces them; it's like a postcard. Thank you! Curator: Precisely, and that tension between lived experience and the postcard image is where the politics of imagery reside. Interesting food for thought.