Gezicht op het voorgebergte Pausilype met oude paleis van koningin Jeanne en platteland van Sannazar vanaf het balkon van de herberg 1778

Editor: Here we have Louis Ducros’ watercolor from 1778, entitled "Gezicht op het voorgebergte Pausilype met oude paleis van koningin Jeanne en platteland van Sannazar vanaf het balkon van de herberg," which translates to "View of the Pausilype Promontory with the Old Palace of Queen Jeanne and the Countryside of Sannazar from the Balcony of the Inn". The hazy rendering feels very much of its time, and there’s something quaint about it. How would you approach interpreting this landscape? Curator: Let's think about the material conditions of its production. Ducros used watercolor, a relatively portable medium. It allowed him to capture this view *en plein air*, a burgeoning practice connecting art directly to specific places. Think about what that act implies: transportation, prepared pigments, paper production. How do those economic realities shape what's included – and excluded – in the image? Editor: So, it’s not just about the beautiful view but the accessibility of that view, the ability to capture it. Does that make the romantic style of the artwork somewhat deceptive? Curator: Exactly! The romanticism on display is only half of the story; on closer inspection, it represents a kind of leisure facilitated by resources that would only be available to a select few at the time. We also need to ask, "who is consuming these landscapes?", considering this work's intended market helps contextualize its romantic aesthetic. Editor: So, beyond the picturesque view, the materiality points to class, labor, and even early tourism. It brings a completely different perspective. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely. Paying attention to the art’s material composition exposes deeper networks of power and exchange than its placid subject suggests.