River Valley with Hill and Water Pump c. 17th century

Editor: Here we have Herman Saftleven's "River Valley with Hill and Water Pump." It's a delicate ink drawing. I'm struck by how much labor is depicted. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I notice how Saftleven uses materials like ink and paper to represent other materials: wood, stone, water. Consider the water pump; it's a machine for extracting a resource. It speaks to human intervention and the shaping of the landscape for production. Editor: That’s a great point. The pump makes me think about how labor is tied to the land. Curator: Exactly. And how the drawing itself is a product of Saftleven's labor. It's about understanding the means of representation and material transformation, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely. I'll definitely look at art with a closer eye on how it represents labor and materials now. Curator: And that will enrich your understanding and viewing experience.