Site of Troy (from Sketchbook) 1904

Editor: This is Mary Newbold Sargent's "Site of Troy (from Sketchbook)," created in 1904 using watercolor. It’s quite subtle, almost monochromatic, giving it a serene yet melancholic feel. What do you see in this piece from a formalist perspective? Curator: The piece immediately strikes me with its balance of horizontal planes. The landmass divides the picture, creating a clear distinction between water and sky. Notice how the brushstrokes in the sky mimic the ripples on the water’s surface, an echo effect establishing formal unity. Editor: I see that now! So, the texture created by the brushstrokes isn’t just representational, it's also contributing to the structure? Curator: Precisely. Also, consider the muted color palette. It minimizes tonal contrast, flattening the pictorial space and directing our focus to the shapes themselves, how they interact, the interplay of form. Are these forms balanced in a visually pleasing way? Is the landscape itself being represented? Editor: It does feel more focused on the abstract forms and their relationship. Even though it's a landscape, it transcends mere representation. Curator: The simplification allows us to examine the fundamental elements of painting – line, color, and texture. How do these formal elements independently hold importance as well? Editor: I guess, I usually consider a landscape first through its subject, its history, but looking at it this way makes me see the artist’s choices in a totally different light. Curator: It reveals the foundational structure on which all representation is built, and emphasizes artistic creation as visual exploration. What new elements have you now observed through the application of formalism?