Study of two trees and a field 

Editor: We're looking at "Study of two trees and a field" by Edwin Austin Abbey. It’s an atmospheric landscape, seemingly a watercolor. There’s a quietness to it, a hazy simplicity. What stands out to you most when you look at this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, the Abbey. For me, it's that sense of being right there, feeling the breeze rustling the leaves. It's more than just seeing the field; it’s almost a memory of a place. Isn’t it funny how watercolor can do that – distill a place into something intensely personal? Editor: Absolutely. It feels like a fleeting moment captured. The realism grounds it, but it also evokes such a personal, soft expression. How does knowing it’s likely painted 'en plein air' influence how we see it? Curator: 'Plein air' is everything here, don’t you think? Knowing Abbey likely stood right there, squinting at the light, swatting at flies perhaps—it animates the scene. The quick strokes, the impressionistic blurring, that's the real world rushing onto the page, a moment, an afternoon…gone in a breath. Do you feel that immediacy? Editor: Yes, especially in the almost-sketchy quality of the trees' branches. The transparency of the medium allows the landscape to breathe. Curator: Exactly! It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What was Abbey thinking, what did he feel right then? What a wonderful little intimate view on one small patch of earth, no? Editor: It really is. It is now such an intimate piece because we shared a moment engaging with it, through your eyes. Thank you. Curator: My absolute pleasure. Hopefully it invites everyone else to look with their own intuition now!