Bar Harbor, Twilight 1896

Editor: So, here we have John La Farge’s "Bar Harbor, Twilight," a watercolor from 1896, currently residing here at the Met. There’s something very melancholic and contemplative about it; a stillness, almost like a memory fading. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a complex interplay of light and shadow, not just aesthetically, but also socially and historically. La Farge, as a privileged white artist, captures a specific kind of American landscape, one that excludes indigenous presence or labor, presenting a romanticized, empty vista. Consider the Gilded Age context – whose twilight is being represented here, and at whose expense? Editor: That's a fascinating perspective I hadn't considered. It does seem to erase certain histories, doesn’t it? How does the plein-air technique factor into this reading? Curator: Plein-air, while seemingly immediate and observational, is never neutral. It is inherently a colonial act, "capturing" a scene for consumption and possession. The soft washes might romanticize Bar Harbor, obscuring the economic and social disparities that existed. The ‘emptiness’ it conveys, isn’t simply that, but also symbolizes displaced populations, a narrative largely untold during this period. Does this resonate with you? Editor: It does now. I was initially drawn to the aesthetics, the gradations of light, but viewing it through a socio-political lens gives it a whole new dimension. I see now the "twilight" might refer not just to the time of day but perhaps to the fading of certain societal structures. Curator: Precisely. Art always exists within, and comments upon, larger power structures. La Farge gives us a beautiful, yet undeniably biased, slice of 19th-century American experience. Editor: Thanks so much, that has completely shifted my understanding of landscape art. Curator: My pleasure; engaging with art critically allows it to continuously spark essential dialogue.