Lake Molly Chunk-a-muuk with Mountains Possibly 1878

Editor: This is Benjamin Champney’s "Lake Molly Chunk-a-muuk with Mountains". I am interested by the composition. It seems like a very quick pencil sketch, almost like a visual note. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Well, it's interesting to consider this as a product of its time. Landscape paintings were becoming increasingly popular, fueled by a growing sense of national identity and westward expansion. Do you think this sketch might be related to those trends? Editor: I see what you mean. It could be a preliminary study for a larger painting. I guess I am wondering how it functions as a record of place in that moment. Curator: Exactly! Consider the Hudson River School, for example. These artists often depicted landscapes to evoke feelings of awe and national pride. Champney's sketch, even in its simplicity, participates in this larger cultural project of defining the American landscape. What do you take away from that? Editor: It is useful to think of this sketch as part of this bigger artistic and cultural movement. Thanks for sharing! Curator: My pleasure.