Kaaterskill Clove 

Asher Brown Durand made this landscape painting, Kaaterskill Clove, with oil on canvas. This was typical for the time, but consider what it took to produce even such a seemingly straightforward image. Durand would have begun by priming his canvas, preparing it to accept the paint. Then, he would mix his pigments with oil, grinding them together to achieve the right consistency and hue. Look closely, and you'll see the many layers he applied, one over another, to create the illusion of depth and atmosphere. Think about the labor involved, not only Durand’s but also the many anonymous hands that extracted and processed the raw materials. From the linseed oil binding the pigment, to the canvas woven on a loom, each component has its own story of production and consumption. It’s a reminder that even the most sublime landscape is deeply intertwined with the material world.