Nancy Brook, White Mountains, New Hampshire c. 19th century

Curator: This is Henry Hitchings' "Nancy Brook, White Mountains, New Hampshire." Hitchings, born in 1824, captured the American landscape with detailed precision. Editor: It feels somber, almost austere. The monochrome palette accentuates the ruggedness of the landscape, but there's an underlying tension. Curator: Hitchings lived through significant environmental changes. His paintings often reflect a longing for untouched wilderness, even as industry encroached upon it. Editor: I see that longing, but I also see a commentary on the power dynamics at play. Who has access to this wilderness, and at what cost? The name "Nancy Brook" begs the question: whose story is being centered here? Curator: That's a crucial point. The romanticized landscape often masks the realities of colonization and displacement. How do we reconcile the aesthetic beauty with the historical context? Editor: By acknowledging the complexities. Art like this can be a starting point for discussions about environmental justice and whose voices are heard in the narrative of nature. Curator: Absolutely. Looking closer helps us consider these important perspectives. Editor: Precisely, and to question whose vision of ‘nature’ is being perpetuated.