Mountain Landscape 1871

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's "Mountain Landscape," a small pencil sketch. It feels so immediate, like he just captured the essence of these mountains. What's your take on it? Curator: I see a rejection of industrialization and a longing for the sublime. Landscape art, especially during Sargent's time, provided an escape from the rapidly changing urban world. How might we consider the colonial gaze embedded in these idealized scenes? Editor: The colonial gaze? I hadn't considered that. Curator: Think about who had access to these landscapes, who profited from them, and whose stories are erased by their romanticization. Sargent, as a privileged artist, was implicated in these power dynamics. Editor: That’s a powerful lens. I’ll definitely look at landscapes differently now. Curator: Precisely! Recognizing the art's historical context allows us to engage in critical dialogue.