Mountain Landscape, Fuscher Thal 1871

Curator: Here we have John Singer Sargent’s "Mountain Landscape, Fuscher Thal." He captured this scene using graphite on paper. Editor: It’s so delicate! It looks like he caught the mountains holding their breath, all quiet and still. Curator: Sargent created this around 1871, during a time when landscape art served as a tool for national identity construction. How might that influence his choice of subject? Editor: Well, it makes me wonder about accessibility. The mountains loom, but do they also isolate? The wispy lines could speak to the fleeting nature of ownership, of both land and identity. Curator: An interesting interpretation, considering Sargent's own transnational identity. Editor: Maybe the pencil drawing makes the mountains feel more intimate, like a shared secret. Curator: Indeed. Thank you. Editor: My pleasure.