Landscape with Clouds c. 1912

Editor: This is Arthur Wesley Dow's "Landscape with Clouds," a small block print at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels quiet and contemplative to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The clouds, rendered with such earthy tones, seem to weigh heavily, almost mirroring a collective mood. Clouds, historically, have been symbols of transition, the ephemeral, even divine presence. Editor: Transition? Curator: Yes, consider how cultures have used clouds in myth and religion, or even modern psychology - what might these clouds be obscuring or revealing? Editor: That's fascinating. I'll look at landscapes differently now. Curator: Indeed, every element carries its own symbolic weight.