Rock slope by a body of water 

Editor: So this is "Rock slope by a body of water," a pen and ink drawing on paper, made by Franz Kobell. It reminds me of something you’d find in a personal sketchbook. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: Well, consider the very *making* of this landscape. It is, quite literally, drawn from the earth, rendered with ink—itself a processed material, bottled and transported. The paper support too – the social conditions which fostered paper manufacture are as crucial as the hand that wielded the pen. Editor: So, beyond just seeing a landscape, you're thinking about the physical elements that went into creating it. Curator: Exactly! How does the act of creating *this* landscape, through these materials, become an act of possession or, conversely, reveal the artist's position within a specific, class-based hierarchy? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered the social context embedded in just the materials themselves. It's like the drawing is just the end product of a much bigger web. Curator: Precisely. And even the landscape genre itself: think about its commodification. How does depicting land this way affect our relationship with the natural world, turning it into something to be owned, displayed, consumed? Editor: It really makes you rethink what you're seeing, beyond just trees and rocks. Curator: Indeed. By focusing on the materiality and the means of production, we start to unravel the social forces at play in even the most seemingly straightforward artwork. Editor: I’ll never look at a landscape the same way. Thank you!