The Big Tree 

Editor: So, here we have Alphonse Legros’ drawing, "The Big Tree." It looks to be made with some kind of ink. It's simple but also has this almost brooding atmosphere. What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: I am interested in the material properties. Consider the availability of drawing materials – paper, ink – during Legros’s time. It tells us about access, class, and who could even *afford* to represent the landscape, let alone own land. Think about the labor, too – the rag pickers making the paper. The grinders preparing the ink. It's a complex process we often overlook when just seeing the finished art object. Editor: That's an interesting point. I hadn’t thought about the labor involved in creating the materials themselves. But, it’s a drawing of nature; does that change anything? Curator: Landscapes often masked societal tensions about land ownership. Who truly *works* the land versus who *owns* it? The tree could even be considered a commodity—wood for fuel or building. What if Legros were alluding to land enclosure through that lone tree? Editor: Hmm, it adds another layer to it. So, by examining the materials, you can unpack so much about social and economic relationships, and it may even change my understanding of something as simple as a tree. I'll never look at a landscape the same way. Curator: Precisely! Consider the drawing not just as a representation but as a material object imbued with its own history of production and consumption.