Landscape with Tree, near Viterbo, Italy 19th-20th century

Editor: This is "Landscape with Tree, near Viterbo, Italy," a watercolor by Denman Waldo Ross at the Harvard Art Museums. The brushstrokes seem so free. What’s your take on it? Curator: The visible strokes highlight the labor involved. It emphasizes the physical act of painting and the artist's relationship to the landscape. Do you think that it challenges the traditional hierarchy between painting and craft? Editor: It definitely makes me think about the materials themselves – the paper, the pigments, how they were sourced and made available. How does that social context play in? Curator: Well, the availability and cost of art supplies were always connected to broader economic structures and trade networks. It forces us to consider who had access to create art and under what conditions. Editor: That is a great point, thanks for sharing. Curator: It's been a pleasure.