A Landscape with a Waterfall 

Curator: Looking at this small ink drawing by Alexander Cozens, "A Landscape with a Waterfall," one notes how the brown paper support has visibly aged. Editor: It feels a bit like looking at an old map, or even a stage set with delicate pen lines defining a romantic landscape. Curator: Cozens's sketches were part of a larger pedagogical project; he systemized the process of landscape depiction, challenging traditional artistic training. Editor: I see his process at work here. The ink handling feels almost detached, more about mapping the space than capturing some specific emotional quality. Curator: Well, perhaps that's because he was less interested in the picturesque or sublime, and more interested in providing a template accessible to amateur artists and the public. Editor: I find that intriguing. It really brings up the democratization of art, doesn't it? Art education through reproducible form. Curator: Exactly! It shows how process and materials intersect with social access to art. Editor: I agree! The work's simplicity belies the historical significance of Cozens's approach.