Canadian Geese 1895

Curator: Looking at this watercolor and graphite drawing on paper titled "Canadian Geese," created by Frank W. Benson in 1895, one can't help but immediately sense movement. Editor: Absolutely. It feels as if you could spread your arms and take flight with them, doesn't it? The muted palette somehow amplifies the raw energy of their upward surge. I imagine the squawk of the birds is nearly deafening. Curator: Considering Benson's artistic training, his Impressionistic style shouldn't be surprising. What stands out to me is how he uses the watercolor medium, in such a technically sophisticated way to almost blur the boundary between foreground and background, making the landscape an integral part of the geese’s journey, not just a backdrop. It's a holistic representation of environment and subject. I wonder about Benson's approach to capturing this ephemeral moment—did he quickly sketch outdoors? Or was this rendered afterward? The production hints at both, honestly. Editor: I picture him in a field, sketching rapidly as the birds lift off. I love the feeling of open space; that the birds exist in such a liminal area suggests freedom to me, unencumbered freedom. I almost want to say, go! Fly free! Curator: That’s the beauty of landscape as a subject, and wildlife particularly; its association with ideas about independence, but also something wilder, beyond the control of an increasingly industrialized America. Birds themselves became the objects of leisure in late 19th century, whether that’s shooting, falconry, egg-collecting, or watching—this image really highlights this shift in societal consumption of animals. Editor: Consumption but also observation, perhaps, and an interest in preserving them for future generations, like this perfect, tiny jewel of a drawing that now documents a natural occurrence over a hundred years later. Curator: True. The act of depicting nature certainly implies a level of care, hopefully translated to Benson’s audience too. Editor: Well said. It gives me a comforting feeling to have been able to engage with this image; now when the skies are covered with the migratory patterns of fowl I will be better prepared to consider the experience with historical mindfulness.