Landscape, Trees 1911

Editor: This is "Landscape, Trees" by Philip Wilson Steer, a watercolor at the Harvard Art Museums. It has such a breezy, calming effect. What strikes you about this work? Curator: The compositional structure offers a study in contrasts. Note the juxtaposition of the fluid washes of the sky against the more staccato application of pigment in the trees. Editor: I see that. It's like two different styles in one piece. Curator: Precisely. The artist plays with the tension between controlled and spontaneous mark-making, inviting the viewer to consider the very process of artistic creation. It asks, "What is a landscape beyond mere representation?" Editor: That’s a great question. I hadn't thought about it that way before. Curator: Examining art in such detail allows us to observe the intentionality behind every brushstroke. Editor: Thank you. I'll remember to look closely at technique from now on.