Landscape 19th-20th century

Editor: This is "Landscape," a small ink drawing by Denman Waldo Ross, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like a quick sketch, capturing a vast scene with minimal detail. What can you tell me about it? Curator: It appears to be a study, perhaps preparatory. The looseness suggests an artist engaging with the immediacy of a specific locale. How do you think the social status of landscape painting affected its production and reception at the time this was made? Editor: That's a great question! I guess I hadn't considered how the art world shaped even something as simple as a landscape sketch. Curator: Exactly! The rise of landscape as a valued genre allowed artists to explore their relationship with the land, but also participate in an art market that catered to specific tastes and ideologies. Editor: I learned that even quick sketches like this one have a history tied to social and political forces. Curator: Indeed, art doesn't exist in a vacuum. Examining its historical context reveals so much!