Simsbury, Connecticut 1866

Editor: We’re looking at "Simsbury, Connecticut," a pencil drawing from 1866 by Aaron Draper Shattuck. It's such a delicate work. I'm really drawn to the peaceful and somewhat melancholic mood it evokes. What captures your attention when you look at it? Curator: Oh, melancholic, you say? I can see that! It’s that hazy, almost dreamlike quality. For me, it’s like peering into a memory. Shattuck, grounded in the Hudson River School's love of the American landscape, really distilled the essence of a place here. Do you notice how he uses the pencil almost like he’s coaxing the light out of the paper itself? Editor: Yes, it’s incredibly subtle! Almost like a photographic negative, how he uses the light... Do you think this was intended as a study for a larger work, or more of a finished piece in its own right? Curator: Ah, that's the delightful question, isn't it? I imagine it as something in between—a record, a contemplation, and perhaps, yes, a possible seed for something grander. But maybe its power lies precisely in its intimacy. What do you think Shattuck found so fascinating about this particular view? Editor: I think he found the same beauty and calm there that I found. Maybe its in the curve of the lane or in the gentle slopes that reminds me of old poetry or landscape paintings. Curator: Absolutely! It's that quintessential New England pastoral scene—a gentle dance between human presence and untouched nature. And that dance, that fleeting moment, beautifully captured. What a treasure to have! Editor: I'm walking away with a greater sense of the intimacy that drawing can provide, its the best form of capturing light. Curator: Agreed. A perfect pause in time, indeed.