Cottage at Bolton, Yorks. 

Editor: This is John Varley’s "Cottage at Bolton, Yorks." It's a pencil drawing, very delicate. I'm struck by how simply he captures the scene. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Look closely at the paper and pencil. The labor involved in even a sketch like this speaks to the commodification of landscape itself. Who owned the cottage? Who labored there? These questions frame our understanding. Editor: So you're saying the drawing's simplicity belies a more complex social story? Curator: Precisely. Consider the intended market for such sketches. Were they for personal enjoyment or for sale to a burgeoning middle class eager to consume picturesque views of rural life? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding the artist's intentions and the viewer's role in completing the picture. Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to question the value we place on both the artistic labor and the represented landscape.