Partial Western Mountain Landscape (recto and verso) 1864

Editor: Here we have Sanford Robinson Gifford's "Partial Western Mountain Landscape" from about 1870, a graphite sketch across two pages. It feels so subtle and fleeting. What do you see in this work? Curator: Gifford's landscapes often sanitize the West, obscuring the violent displacement of Indigenous peoples that enabled his picturesque views. How do we reconcile the beauty of the scene with the historical reality? Editor: So, it's about what isn't shown, the untold stories behind these landscapes? Curator: Precisely. The romantic portrayal of nature was often complicit in erasing the presence and rights of marginalized communities. It encourages us to reflect on whose perspectives are valued and whose are silenced in art and history. Editor: That gives me a lot to consider about landscape art. Curator: Indeed, art prompts us to delve into complex histories.