Suburbs of an Ancient City 1808

Curator: John Varley's watercolor, "Suburbs of an Ancient City," paints a dreamlike vision. It's classical, but tinged with Romanticism, wouldn't you say? Editor: A grand, tranquil stage. The mountains presiding over both nature and man, their peaks softened by the sheer scale of history represented. Curator: Exactly! Varley, who lived from 1778 to 1842, was obsessed with ideal landscapes, and here he blends reality with the imagined past. It's quite architectural, isn't it? Editor: The architecture seems to act as a reminder, both beautiful and ruined. See those figures by the water? Reminds me of the cyclical nature of civilizations, constantly rebuilding. Curator: Yes, there's a melancholy to it, the knowledge that even the grandest structures fade. It’s a reflection, perhaps, on our own fleeting existence. Editor: Absolutely. It’s a gorgeous piece that invites us to ponder the weight of time, all captured in the softest washes of watercolor.