Girl by the River c. 19th century

Curator: This is "Girl by the River," an engraving we attribute to Edmund William Evans at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite lovely. Editor: It feels like a memory, doesn't it? The soft light, the almost ethereal quality of the landscape. It's idealized nature. Curator: I think you're right. This image taps into a deep nostalgia for a simpler, pastoral life, a world where humans exist harmoniously with nature. Editor: But who is this girl? She seems so lost in thought, so separate from her surroundings, yet she's grounded here, in the water. Is she a symbol of something? Curator: Maybe she's the embodiment of that longing, that separation. Or maybe she's just a girl by a river, a moment captured in time that resonates with our own yearning for connection. Editor: Either way, it works. I feel like I've been there myself, knee-deep in that river, contemplating the mysteries of life. Curator: I appreciate that about art, it’s ability to transport us to places, real or imagined, and to reflect on our shared humanity.