Gardens of Aranjuez (2) 

Curator: Ah, I'm instantly transported! There's a tranquility about this painting; a serene hush over the scene, with an ever-so-slightly melancholic charm to it. Editor: Yes, a painting entitled "Gardens of Aranjuez (2)" by Santiago Rusiñol. You feel the pull of nature reclaiming space within a cityscape; what we perceive as manicured has an enduring appeal to the eye. Rusiñol captured the transience of these very fleeting moments through plein-air painting. Curator: Plein-air…that explains the immediacy. It's like capturing a memory still shimmering, still wet with dew, that light dancing across the water. You can feel the weight of summer clinging to the leaves. I’m almost tempted to dip my fingers in the canal. Editor: Indeed, Rusiñol was fascinated by gardens. The image speaks of cultivated spaces versus wild nature. But beyond aesthetics, garden spaces like Aranjuez historically served as symbolic realms of power and control, manifesting colonial ambitions in landscape architecture, right? Curator: So the image asks us, "Can beauty and power co-exist harmoniously?" It brings an intriguing friction to this idyllic scene. But really, for me, it's about the pure, unadulterated pleasure of being utterly, deliciously lost in a world of verdant greens and ochre sunlight! Editor: A space shaped by labor and conquest being used for the personal and private delight of those in charge. Consider that the very notion of a 'pleasure garden' is predicated on exclusion. While we gaze at these tranquil images, do we reckon with whose labor constructed and maintains them? Curator: I’m challenged by this...it is lovely to consider all those perspectives mingling into one. Like whispers amongst the trees and ripples across water. It turns observation into thoughtful dialogue, almost a reconciliation... Editor: Rusiñol perhaps intuitively captured the complex social histories imbedded within supposedly "neutral" landscapes; hopefully opening up discussions, debates and space for societal growth through the power of art!