Harbor Scene, Amsterdam 19th-20th century

Editor: So this is "Harbor Scene, Amsterdam" by Denman Waldo Ross. It's a small, delicate pencil drawing. I'm immediately struck by its sense of stillness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It feels like a captured breath, doesn't it? Ross uses the pencil so sparingly, yet he evokes the whole atmosphere of Amsterdam's harbor. Notice how the reflections in the water are as important as the buildings themselves. It’s like he’s asking us to consider what's real and what's merely a reflection. Editor: I never thought of it that way, but now I see how the drawing blurs the line between reality and illusion. Curator: Exactly! And perhaps that's what art is meant to do, after all, isn't it?