Lake Mooselucmaguntic, Maine 1878

Curator: This is Benjamin Champney’s sketch, titled "Lake Mooselucmaguntic, Maine." It's a delicate drawing, rendered on paper. Editor: It has such a quiet feel. The subtle pencil work almost blends into the paper, giving it a ghostly, ethereal quality. Curator: Champney was part of the Hudson River School. Here, the lake and distant shorelines are presented in a classic compositional arrangement. Note the way the artist repeats the landscape near the horizon. What do you think of it? Editor: It makes me think about manifest destiny and romanticized notions of the frontier. How did landscape painting contribute to the mythologies of American expansion? Curator: That's an interesting consideration. I think the repetition does suggest a kind of doubled, multiplied opportunity or experience that could relate to these mythologies. Editor: And it's important to consider how the mythologies of expansion impacted Indigenous communities and continue to shape our understanding of land and ownership today. Curator: Absolutely. The layers of meaning in this seemingly simple landscape reveal deeper complexities. Editor: It reminds us that even the most serene images are steeped in history and power dynamics.