The Golden Tower 1833

Editor: This is "The Golden Tower," an 1833 oil painting by David Roberts. It's quite beautiful, almost dreamlike in its depiction of the cityscape. What strikes me is the attention to light. How do you interpret this work? Curator: From a materialist perspective, let's consider the pigments Roberts employed. What minerals were sourced to create that very effect you've noticed? Consider the socio-economic structure needed to support that material acquisition, their grinding, mixing and then transport for Roberts to eventually craft that sky and golden tower with layers of pigment? Editor: So you're saying we should look at where the paint came from, not just what the painting depicts? Curator: Precisely! Roberts romanticizes the scene, but that overlooks the labor involved in producing and consuming his materials. Consider the implications of representing a cityscape while simultaneously relying on global trade networks and colonial extraction for raw materials of art-making. The cost to manufacture, and acquire oil paints must have been astronomical, no? Who had access to such privilege to acquire art materials? What labor went into it? Editor: That makes me think about how many landscapes from this period sanitize or ignore the realities of colonialism that underpinned wealth and power at the time. Curator: Indeed. What about the linen used as canvas? Or the brushes manufactured? All those aspects contribute to a larger understanding of the work's cultural meaning. What is omitted? What histories are silenced by presenting only an idyllic, pristine vision? What do the means of production tell us about the social context? Editor: I'd never really thought about a landscape painting this way. I’m thinking now about art materials and colonialism. Curator: And the networks of exchange it involved to facilitate the trade in raw goods used for making “high art.” Hopefully you will see it now. Editor: Absolutely. It adds so many layers of understanding! Thanks!