Hudson River Brick Piers 1886

Editor: Jasper Francis Cropsey's watercolor and graphite drawing, "Hudson River Brick Piers," made in 1886, has such an ephemeral quality. It captures the industrial structures almost like ghosts on the water. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: For me, it speaks volumes about the Hudson River School's complex relationship with industrialization. While often celebrated for their sublime landscapes, here, Cropsey directly confronts the evolving means of production along the river. The watercolor technique itself is interesting. What does this fleeting rendering tell us about his view on the piers' permanence? Editor: That's a great point! So the materials themselves play a part. The use of watercolor over something more permanent, like oil, indicates an ambivalent approach toward industry? Curator: Precisely. The quick, diluted washes juxtaposed with the structural precision suggested by graphite forces us to consider the social and economic context: the piers as sites of labor, trade, and the transformation of the landscape. Did the industrial revolution threaten the "naturalness" they sought to capture? Or did the growth change the scope of art and how we value resources? Editor: It sounds like Cropsey, while employing the traditional medium, also hints at an inevitable shift toward the urbanization. The piers facilitated that growth and change...It's less about the piers, perhaps, and more about labor as an indication of growth. Curator: Exactly. Think about how he chooses to represent these piers, focusing on their materiality and role in the ever-changing economy of the Hudson River, as well as what might be lost. Editor: This totally reframes how I understood Hudson River School art. I'll look more closely at materials and means of production now. Curator: And I am more aware of what could easily be forgotten or lost, thanks to this conversation.