St Goarhausen 

Curator: John Frederick Lewis, a 19th-century artist known for his Orientalist scenes, created this watercolor titled "St Goarhausen." Editor: It feels remarkably unfocused for Lewis—almost a blur of greens and browns. The perspective is oddly compressed. Curator: Perhaps deliberately, since Lewis frequently engaged with themes of Romanticism and the sublime. The sheer scale of the landscape dwarfs any human presence. Editor: True. But the technique itself—the washes and rapid strokes—obscures the sublime. The mountain is just a mass; the river merely a suggestion. Curator: The lack of specificity enhances its universality. It could be *any* romantic landscape, reflecting the era’s interest in the emotional resonance of nature. Editor: Perhaps. For me, it reads more as an unfinished study than a statement. Curator: An interesting point. It reminds us that even accomplished artists like Lewis explored and experimented within the bounds of established genres. Editor: A quick sketch, that nevertheless gives us insight into the artistic process.