Landscape 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Landscape," a watercolor measuring roughly 7 by 10 inches. Editor: The colors are striking, almost Fauvist. The layering of the landscape feels dreamlike. Curator: Precisely, the composition segments the landscape into zones. Note how Ross uses horizontal bands of color to create depth. The materiality of watercolor allows light to pass through the layers, creating luminosity. Editor: The way he handles the watercolor suggests a quick study, an intimate connection to the land. Consider the artist’s labor: the paper, the mixing of pigments, the act of painting on location. Curator: Indeed. The composition shows a keen awareness of visual harmony, a balance of color and tone suggesting underlying formal structures. Editor: I wonder about his choice of landscape. What fields is he standing in and what meaning it have to him? Curator: It is fascinating to consider his place. An artwork is a wonderful testament to the land through which it was painted. Editor: Absolutely! A delicate dance between material and idea.