Landscape, Maine 1991

Editor: This is Elena Prentice’s watercolor, *Landscape, Maine*, from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a dreamy, monochromatic scene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Consider the artist's choice of watercolor. It’s a readily available, relatively inexpensive medium. How does its accessibility affect the perception and value of the artwork? Does its "humble" materiality invite a specific kind of engagement? Editor: So, by using watercolor, Prentice democratizes the landscape, making it feel less precious? Curator: Precisely. And what does this imply about her relationship to the traditional landscape genre and its associations with wealth and land ownership? Editor: That makes me rethink my initial impression! I see a subtle critique now.