Cascade de Lys 1834

Curator: Harding's "Cascade de Lys" presents us with a majestic, if understated, view of nature. Editor: It feels incredibly muted; almost ghostly, doesn't it? Like a memory of a landscape rather than its true presence. Curator: Well, consider Harding’s process; this isn't just about a finished artwork, but the artistry in rendering the natural world using graphite and touches of color—the labour, the choices in mark-making... Editor: But who is this landscape for? Water, power, access to resources—these romanticized views often masked the realities of land use and displacement. Whose story isn't being told here? Curator: Harding was deeply invested in communicating the aesthetics of the picturesque; the qualities of sublimity and beauty were central to his practice. Editor: Perhaps, but even beauty has a context. This work invites us to consider the cultural and political framing of landscape, not just its surface. Curator: A lot to unpack from what appears to be a simple drawing. Editor: Exactly. It's a reminder that even in apparent stillness, histories are flowing.