Moorland Landscape 

Editor: Here we have what's titled "Moorland Landscape" by Archibald Thorburn, crafted with watercolor and what looks like charcoal. The scene has this wonderfully muted, almost melancholic atmosphere. What do you make of this, especially given his choice of materials? Curator: Well, look at the surface itself. Watercolor, often associated with quick studies and amateur art. But here, it becomes the very means of depicting this 'wild' space. This Moorland is not romanticised. We don't have grand narratives or heroic figures, just a depiction of the working landscape of Britain. Think about the process: applying thin washes, building up tone to describe form. What does that suggest to you about his understanding of the land? Editor: That it's unglamorous, maybe? Honest in a way? It's the land that supports communities. I'm also curious about "plein-air"; I can imagine him in place experiencing all kind of atmospheric disturbances impacting material results... Curator: Precisely! Plein-air here points to direct observation and a material response to immediate surroundings. How does his approach compare with how a formal portrait painter might choose and prepare materials? Think about control, and about expectations. What social class usually produces these types of landscapes? Editor: That’s a great point; it reframes my initial reaction from just 'melancholic' to considering labor and land use of these communities. Curator: Right! By focusing on Thorburn's artistic choices, such as the type of medium he is employing "en plein air", we gain insight to not only to his intentions as an artist but the social and historical influences informing the artistic end product. So, considering the landscape as a document, what does this choice in materiality and the "plein air" process say about 19th century labour in Britain? Editor: Okay, I see. So, not just what it depicts, but how it was made, informs its meaning. I hadn't considered the labour involved so explicitly. Thanks, that's really helpful. Curator: My pleasure! Hopefully, you'll bring these things into consideration in your future examinations!