Olive Grove at Tivoli 1880 - 1890

Editor: This is William Stanley Haseltine’s "Olive Grove at Tivoli," a drawing of sorts. It’s… monochromatic and a bit eerie, even. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an exploration of the olive tree as a commodity. Consider the intensive labor required for olive cultivation and harvesting, and the consumption of olive oil as a marker of status. How does this depiction either reveal or conceal that process? Editor: That's a very interesting point. I never considered the labor aspect before. Curator: Exactly. We must consider who benefits from the production and trade of olives, and whose labor is erased in idyllic landscapes like these. Editor: That’s a perspective I will definitely carry with me! Thanks. Curator: Indeed. The layers of material and meaning. There is always more to unpack.