View of Florence c. 1843 - 1844

Curator: Here we have Jean-Léon Gérôme's "View of Florence," a sepia wash drawing. It's quite small, really, only about 9 by 14 inches. Editor: It's all in shades of brown, giving it a wistful, almost dreamlike quality. Like peering through time itself. Curator: Precisely. The sepia wash, made from the ink of cuttlefish, was incredibly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries for landscapes and architectural studies. Imagine Gérôme, carefully diluting, layering... Editor: Sepia, interesting, yes, and look at the way he uses the trees on the right to frame the Duomo. Curator: It is a romantic vision, isn't it? Florence as a memory, perhaps. Editor: I’m struck by the absence of color, the bareness of the scene, as if Florence is waiting to be built, and to spring forth, not just admired. Curator: Yes, perhaps this is a study in potential, rather than just a picturesque view. Editor: Quite. It makes me think about the history of pigment extraction and the labor of artmaking itself. All in this tiny, brown, time capsule. Curator: Exactly! A landscape not just seen, but deeply felt, materially and emotionally. Editor: Indeed, a world in monochrome, waiting to be made.