Schichallion 

Curator: Oh, this landscape whispers of somewhere ancient and untouched. The pencil lines almost feel like runes etched onto the page. Editor: My eye immediately goes to the paper itself – the way the watercolour sits so lightly on the surface. You can almost feel the texture of the handmade paper. And of course, this is "Schichallion" by David Young Cameron. Curator: It's the ethereal quality, isn’t it? Like seeing a memory of a place rather than the place itself. Notice how the mountain peak just barely kisses the horizon? There’s a real sense of the sublime here, a romantic longing. Editor: But it's more than just feeling; consider the actual labour. Someone mined those graphite and ochre pigments, someone processed and sold them. There's a direct link to industrial history in this quiet scene. Curator: Yes, but it transcends the simple recording of labor. For me, that subdued palette is so evocative; muted pinks and blues layered like sediment over time, and they make me dream. Editor: Absolutely. Those choices speak volumes about the artistic circles in which Cameron moved and marketed his artwork. These works were commodities of beauty but made within definite supply chains. I can almost see the specific pencil and type of brush used on the artwork! Curator: In a way, those very supply chains fueled the artist's escape *into* the sublime. The landscape becomes a site of refuge. Editor: It is funny when considering consumption; who would want an image of hard physical labour in the early 20th century? Rather, someone wants something 'pure' as they retreat to their weekend cottage. Curator: It just highlights the dual nature of art, doesn't it? Both of you, always intertwined. I look at this again, and a peaceful melancholy drifts from the art. Editor: And now, thinking again about the materials, I notice so many slight alterations and amendments... This watercolor holds more layers, and labour, than initial view suggests!