The Lake of Geneva (?) Possibly 1776

Editor: This is John Robert Cozens' "The Lake of Geneva (?)." It's a sepia drawing, evoking a sense of tranquility. The repetitive strokes used to create the foliage almost flatten the landscape. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: I see a focus on the materiality of the ink itself. The repetitive mark-making you noticed speaks to a certain efficiency, almost a factory-like approach to landscape. How does the use of sepia, a readily available material, inform our understanding of the artist’s process and the intended audience? Editor: It makes me wonder if the availability of materials influenced the style and the dissemination of such landscape imagery. Thanks for the insight! Curator: Exactly! Considering the context of its production changes our understanding.