A Young Palm, Valentia 1865

Editor: Here we have John William Inchbold's "A Young Palm, Valentia," a watercolor piece. There's a stillness, but also a starkness to the depiction. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice how Inchbold uses watercolor to meticulously capture the palm's texture and form. How does the materiality of watercolor, with its inherent fluidity and transparency, contribute to the scene's overall feeling of fragility? Editor: So, it’s about the watercolor itself as much as the subject? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labor involved in creating such a detailed botanical study, then compare it with the palm's own labour to survive in this dry landscape. How does that tension affect your interpretation? Editor: I never considered the art's making as part of the subject before. Thanks! Curator: Thinking about art as a material process helps us to understand so much more.