Courtyard 19th-20th century

Curator: Denman Waldo Ross's watercolor "Courtyard" presents us with a scene of quiet, intimate urbanity. Editor: It feels…hushed. Like catching a glimpse of something private, softened by distance and the artist's hand. Curator: Ross, known for his theories on color and design, emphasizes process. The visible brushstrokes and layering of watercolor washes reveal the act of construction. Editor: I see that now. The way he's suggested forms rather than defined them precisely creates this lovely sense of impermanence, of fleeting beauty. The materials themselves create the mood. Curator: Precisely. Ross was interested in how artistic labor, particularly through media like watercolor, could elevate the everyday, challenging hierarchies of artistic value. Editor: There's something so genuine about the artist capturing his immediate surroundings with available materials that makes this piece so enduringly enchanting.