Lake or River Bank, with Houses 

Curator: This is William James Müller’s "Lake or River Bank, with Houses," a lovely, modest watercolor drawing held at the Tate. Editor: It's so delicate—almost a whisper of a landscape. I get a real sense of quiet melancholy from it. Curator: Absolutely. Notice how the reflections dominate, dwarfing the solid forms? It almost feels like the buildings are dissolving into the water. Buildings as reflections signify the transience of human endeavors, the inevitable decay of even the most solid structures. Editor: It reminds me of a dream, actually. The way the lines aren't quite defined, the colors muted... it's like a memory fading. Curator: Müller's technique really emphasizes the ephemeral quality of the scene. I think he's capturing not just a place, but also a feeling. Editor: There is something haunting and familiar to it. It makes you think about the ungraspable flow of time. Curator: Indeed, it really holds a mirror to the past.