12. Coast of Sorrento 1778 - 1779

Editor: This is John 'Warwick' Smith's "Coast of Sorrento," from the Tate collection. It’s a watercolor piece, and I’m struck by the contrast between the imposing cliffs and the delicate brushstrokes. What draws your eye? Curator: The materiality of this watercolor reveals much about the economic and social context of its production. Consider the paper itself, likely a commercially produced product, and the pigments, possibly sourced through global trade networks. Who had access to these materials, and what stories do they tell about artistic labor and consumption in Smith’s time? Editor: So, it’s less about the scene itself and more about what went into creating it? Curator: Precisely. The scene is almost secondary to the means of its production. Thinking about this landscape as a commodity changes how we engage with it. Editor: That’s a very different perspective than I usually consider. Thanks for sharing.