The Town of Marino 1774

Editor: This is John Downman's "The Town of Marino." It’s watercolor on paper, and I’m struck by how muted the colors are. It's almost monochromatic. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: I find myself drawn to the artist's choice of watercolor. It democratized landscape painting, making it accessible. It also speaks volumes about the rise of paper production and the networks facilitating the distribution of materials. Editor: That’s a great point; I hadn’t considered the material accessibility. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. It’s fascinating to think about art in terms of the labor and resources that made it possible.