Mountains, Promontogno, Switzerland 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Mountains, Promontogno, Switzerland." It feels like a fleeting moment captured with such loose brushstrokes. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement, with its emphasis on the artist's direct experience and simplified forms. Ross was deeply interested in color theory, wasn't he? Editor: Yes, he was. Curator: And he applied those theories to elevate craft and design, challenging the established hierarchies of art institutions at the time. Notice how the landscape becomes almost abstract, prioritizing harmonious color relationships over strict representation. It’s a political statement, in a way. Editor: That's a really interesting point. I never considered that the abstraction could be a statement in itself. Curator: Precisely. And how that challenges our assumptions about what art should be. It makes me think about the role of art in shaping cultural values. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way before. Thanks!