Moonrise on the Desert, Assouan, Egypt 1896

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s watercolor, “Moonrise on the Desert, Assouan, Egypt.” Editor: It’s so serene! The soft washes create an ethereal landscape. Curator: Ross’s technique involves layering thin washes of watercolor, emphasizing light and atmosphere. He was quite interested in pigment application. Editor: The lone structure atop the dune—what do you make of its historical and social context? It certainly evokes feelings of isolation. Curator: The building could be a watchtower or a tomb. Editor: Possibly. And one could easily read it as a symbol of power, both human and natural, set against the backdrop of colonial Egypt. Curator: Perhaps. I’m mostly struck by how Ross rendered the landscape, reducing it to simple shapes and colors, emphasizing the flatness of the paper surface. Editor: The painting gives us so much to consider in terms of place and cultural identity. Curator: Indeed. It’s a small work, but one that makes us ask important questions.