Riverbank 1865

Editor: This is Adolphe Appian's "Riverbank," a print from the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so moody and evocative, like a memory half-forgotten. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Appian! The king of atmosphere. I see a dance between light and shadow, a conversation between the solid earth and the ephemeral sky. Do you feel how the artist uses those swirling lines to almost make the clouds breathe? He’s not just showing us a riverbank; he's revealing a feeling, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely, the linework is incredibly expressive, and it gives the landscape a tangible sense of movement. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while! Curator: Me too. It's like he dipped his pen in moonlight and whispered secrets onto the paper.