Oregon--Beyond the South Pass c. 1860

Editor: This is Henry Hitchings' watercolor "Oregon--Beyond the South Pass." It feels vast, but also a little melancholy. What stories do you think this landscape tells? Curator: It evokes the concept of Manifest Destiny, that 19th-century belief in American expansion westward. Hitchings's romanticized view, devoid of Indigenous presence, naturalizes a narrative of possession and erasure. The grandeur invites settlement, doesn't it? What do you think about the lack of people? Editor: I hadn't considered the absent narrative. It's a powerful omission, isn't it? I was just drawn in by the view. Curator: Precisely. The beauty is strategic. It masks the violent displacement inherent in westward expansion. It’s a landscape ripe for reinterpretation through a critical lens. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture but a document that reveals a lot about the values of the time. Thanks! Curator: Exactly! Art can be a powerful form of cultural critique if we ask the right questions.