Street Scene with Tower 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s "Street Scene with Tower," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Ross was known for his work in design theory and watercolor painting. Editor: It has an ephemeral quality to it, almost like a memory fading. The wispy lines create a soft, dreamlike atmosphere. Curator: The sketch really captures a specific moment. It seems Ross was interested in the ways a built environment can evoke a sense of place. Editor: The figures are interesting—they seem almost ghostlike, not fully formed. Their anonymity within the urban landscape makes you think about the role of individuals in the face of history. Curator: Considering Ross's interests, I wonder if he aimed to depict the universal experience of being a passerby, a temporary observer in a timeless setting. Editor: Perhaps it's a reflection on the transient nature of existence itself, highlighted by the permanence of the tower against the fleeting presence of people. Curator: It does make you consider how the tower has seen countless individuals walk by, each with their own stories. Editor: Exactly! And how our own narratives momentarily intersect with the historical context that shapes us.