The Boulder and the Flume 1878

Editor: This is Ralph Blakelock’s “The Boulder and the Flume,” painted in 1878. The oil paint gives such depth to the darkness of the rock walls, really contrasting with the brightness of that sliver of sky. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What I find striking is the way Blakelock stages a relationship between nature and encroaching human development. This flume, clearly constructed, juts through the heart of what seems a pristine landscape. Consider how artists, especially within the Hudson River School, were grappling with American expansion and industrialization. This tension is almost palpable. What do you make of the broken pathway and how it obstructs this sense of expansion and easy access? Editor: Well, I initially thought the damaged walkway evoked a sense of danger and the untamed nature of the scene. It felt almost romantic in that way. Curator: I agree, the Romantic lens is hard to miss, but consider also the implied narrative here. Who built this path, and for whom? What did "access" to nature mean in 1878, and who was granted that access? When thinking about Blakelock and this period, it’s imperative to understand his complicated history, including facing poverty and the market pressures that potentially influenced his choices. Do you think there are ways in which the work can offer insights into ideas of class? Editor: That’s not something I had considered, but the broken path certainly points to a failing or abandonment. So, maybe the romantic idealization of nature ignores the socioeconomic realities? Curator: Exactly! The work prompts us to question whose perspective is privileged, and how ideas like “wilderness” and “access” were being defined, and often, exploited, during that time. Editor: It’s amazing to think of a landscape painting carrying all that complexity. Curator: Art gives us a means to delve into critical dialogues and narratives regarding history and identity and how we situate ourselves within them. I'll look at paintings very differently now.