Monte Cavo, II 1781

Curator: Francis Towne created this watercolor, titled *Monte Cavo, II*. It's currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It feels…unfinished. The washes of color are beautiful, but so much is left to the imagination. Curator: Towne was very interested in depicting idealized landscapes and the sublime, common in late 18th-century artistic circles. Notice how he simplifies forms? Editor: True, but look at the support—that paper would have been relatively cheap. This isn’t about rarefied ideals; it’s about the accessibility of landscape imagery through more affordable materials. Curator: Perhaps. However, his selective detail certainly elevates the scene beyond mere representation. This was about invoking mood. Editor: Still, I find myself focusing on the craft, the paper, the pigments available at the time… the physical reality of its making. Curator: And I am interested in how Towne, through this work, engaged with broader political and artistic trends. It's all so telling. Editor: Quite. Food for thought.