A Mountainous Landscape in Spain 

Editor: This is "A Mountainous Landscape in Spain" by John Phillip. It's undated, but he lived from 1817 to 1867. It's a watercolor. The mountains seem so imposing, yet the colors are very soft. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the romantic idealization of landscape, characteristic of the 19th century, colliding with the realities of Spanish social history. Phillip, a Scottish artist, found great success painting Spanish subjects. Editor: So, how does the popularity of his Spanish paintings relate to social history? Curator: Well, think about the exoticism and orientalism present in European art at the time. Spain, in its relative proximity, became a popular subject. Consider how the image might serve colonial fantasies. Editor: That’s interesting. It makes me think about whose perspective is represented in the painting and how it might influence the viewer. Curator: Precisely. We can contemplate on the politics embedded within these landscapes.