Fountain, Paris 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s watercolor, titled "Fountain, Paris," held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It evokes a sense of fleeting beauty—almost dreamlike with the soft blues and greens. The washes of color seem to mimic the fluidity of water itself. Curator: The fountain, rendered in blues, becomes a monument to Parisian civic life, suggesting permanence and the continuity of public gathering spaces. The figures add to this, becoming archetypes of leisurely city life. Editor: The way Ross uses watercolor creates a delicate luminosity, almost as if the fountain and figures are dissolving back into the light. The paper itself becomes a crucial element. Curator: Yes, watercolor, as a medium, lends itself well to capturing ephemeral moments. It's about how light and shadow define form, but also about memory and the collective experience of place. Editor: It really makes you consider the cost and availability of materials. The lightness of touch emphasizes the preciousness of the pigments, and perhaps even the privilege of the artist's access to this scene. Curator: I agree; there's a definite sense of nostalgia embedded within this scene, a longing for a harmonious existence. Editor: It reminds me that art, in its materiality, can reflect the social conditions of its creation.