Glass Windows, Bahamas 1885

Editor: This is Winslow Homer's "Glass Windows, Bahamas," a watercolor from 1885. I find the contrast between the rough rocks and the serene sea incredibly striking. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a depiction of nature that subtly interrogates ideas of colonial paradise. Consider Homer’s choice of the Bahamas, a site deeply entangled with histories of enslavement and exploitation. He offers this vista, but through a lens that’s almost geological, distancing us from the human element and its inherent injustices. What is foregrounded by the imposing arch? Editor: The sea, the horizon... a sort of untouched, natural beauty. Curator: Exactly. This reinforces the notion of a 'discovery' or taming of nature. How complicit might artists be when they only depict untouched scenes? It obscures a more difficult conversation regarding exploitation. The sublime is used here not to simply inspire awe but potentially to obscure a very real social landscape. Does this perspective shift how you see Homer’s use of watercolor in capturing this scene? Editor: It does. I was initially focused on the aesthetic quality—the technique and beauty. I now wonder if there's a deliberate detachment. Like he is saying there is something deeper there. Curator: Precisely. Consider how artistic choices can reflect—or deflect—attention from complex historical realities. Editor: That makes me appreciate the painting more. It's not just a pretty landscape, but also a mirror to a complex past. Curator: And to the artist’s position within that complex past. Recognizing this challenges our assumptions about artistic intention and representation.