Landscape with Saco River, New Hampshire; verso: blank page Possibly 1859

Editor: This delicate pencil sketch has a wonderfully calm feel. Curator: Indeed. This is Benjamin Champney’s “Landscape with Saco River, New Hampshire,” undated. Champney was part of the White Mountain School, and that region’s industry certainly shaped his artistic output. Editor: The composition really draws me in. The horizontal lines of the river create such a sense of tranquility. Curator: And consider the material itself—paper, pencil—easily transportable, ideal for an artist documenting and responding to the changing landscape due to industrialization and tourism. Editor: It is fascinating to see the bare minimum used to such great effect. Curator: Absolutely, and it reminds us of the labor and resources involved in creating even seemingly simple works like this. Editor: I appreciate how this drawing invites us to pause and reflect on the beauty found even in the midst of change. Curator: Precisely, a reminder that art-making is always deeply embedded within broader economic and social realities.