Landscape in North Wales 1813

Editor: So, this is John Linnell's "Landscape in North Wales," a watercolor from 1813. There's a certain serenity, but it's also a bit…stark. The washes of color are beautiful. What strikes you about it? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the way Linnell handles the material itself. It's watercolor, yes, but the layering reveals a deep engagement with the economic landscape of artmaking at the time. Watercolors were considered ‘lesser’ than oils, more aligned with sketching and topographical studies rather than high art, tied to the rising middle classes and their leisure activities, not aristocratic patronage. Does that shift how we view it? Editor: I never really thought of that! It seems less about a picturesque ideal, and more about accessibility, almost like… artistic labor democratization. Curator: Precisely! Think about who would commission a grand oil painting versus who might purchase or create a watercolor. Linnell is implicated in a broader shift of artistic patronage, and even consumption of art. We should consider the rise of amateur drawing masters, teaching sketching as a proper skill for young ladies; this links landscape production to a whole complex web of gender, class and labour. Where does the hand of the artist end, and that of a proto-art market begin? Editor: It's fascinating how considering the material shifts the meaning. It almost feels less like a 'landscape' and more like an early form of social commentary, pointing to wider manufacturing means. Curator: Exactly! By examining the materials, the methods of production, and the market context, we’ve unveiled another layer of meaning, questioning those old distinctions of ‘high art’ versus everyday craft. I find the relationship between consumption of art and the act of producing to be rather exciting. Editor: That’s a really useful point about linking the landscape to labour; I’ll never look at a watercolor the same way!