The Waterfall c. 19th century

Curator: This is Edward Goodall's drawing, "The Waterfall", housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a curious composition. Such a delicate rendering of nature, but almost feels like a fragment, a contained world floating in all that empty space. Curator: The high contrast between the dark graphite and the paper creates a strong focal point, drawing the eye immediately to the scene itself. Editor: And what a scene! I wonder about the quality of the paper, the graphite—what was the artist thinking about the accessibility of the landscape he sought to render? Curator: It's about the essence of the waterfall, its movement and power rendered through line and form. Editor: Perhaps, but I am left considering the labor and expense involved. It asks interesting questions about the nature of access and representation. Curator: Indeed. The artwork presents a compelling intersection of artistic intention and material reality. Editor: I agree; it's made me think differently about how the means of production can inform our perception.