Roslin Castle 1801

Editor: Here we have Turner's "Roslin Castle," a delicate graphite sketch. The castle is suggested more than defined, almost dissolving into the landscape. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice how the graphite is applied, almost like a topographical survey, mapping the site's resources – the source of the graphite, the paper it marks. Consider the labor: the artist's hand, the mill that produced the paper. Editor: So, it's not just about the castle itself? Curator: Not only. It’s about the process of seeing, recording, and the materials that enable that process. How does the ready availability of materials influence landscape art production? Editor: I hadn't considered the paper itself as part of the story. Curator: Exactly! Considering what is involved in the making of the image shifts how we understand it.