Maloja Pass above Chiavenna 1894

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this oil on panel painting titled "Maloja Pass above Chiavenna" by Denman Waldo Ross, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The brushwork! I’m immediately drawn to the thick, almost tactile quality of the paint. It's like looking at the landscape through a textured lens. Curator: Ross was deeply interested in color theory and composition. He believed art should strive for harmony and balance, reflecting the transcendentalist movement that permeated American art circles. Editor: I see the appeal, but my eye goes straight to the visible labor—the building up of material to render buildings, mountains, and the road. It really highlights the physical act of creation. Curator: Indeed, and the subject matter—the pass—is a location of trade and transport, underscoring your point about labor. It prompts us to consider how landscapes become sites of exchange. Editor: Absolutely. You can practically feel the grit under your fingernails! I leave this painting with a renewed respect for the hands that make art. Curator: A lovely point! For me, it’s a work that reminds us of the public function of art: to offer a space for contemplation and conversation.