Near the Fiord c. 19th century

Editor: This is "Near the Fiord," a watercolor and pencil drawing from the 19th century by Theodore J. Richardson, housed here at Mia. The light in this piece is striking; it almost feels like the dawn of a new era. How do you interpret this work, considering its time? Curator: It's interesting that you pick up on the 'dawn' feeling. I see this work very much embedded in the context of 19th-century Romanticism and its relationship to burgeoning Imperialism. Consider the idea of the 'sublime'—vast, awe-inspiring landscapes, which are prominently featured here, and their simultaneous potential for beauty and danger. Do you see a tension between the Romantic ideal and the reality of colonial expansion within this composition? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. I see the beauty, definitely. The vastness. But the colonial expansion…where do you see that reflected? Curator: Look at the figures in the boats, seemingly small amidst this grandeur. How might their presence—their potential for exploration and claiming of territory—alter our reading of this scene? Does the romanticized view obscure the impact on Indigenous communities, and their connection to the land? The drawing, in a way, aestheticizes a process that often resulted in displacement and erasure. What is romantic and what is violent? Editor: So, the beauty could almost be a kind of…mask? It's making me reconsider the whole thing. I thought it was simply beautiful but there is possibly violence that one isn't initially noticing. Curator: Exactly. And it calls into question the role of the artist at that time, the intention behind creating such images. Who are they for, and what narratives do they reinforce, or perhaps subtly challenge? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about; that beauty doesn't always mean innocence, and can also function as obfuscation. Curator: Yes. It encourages us to question not only the artist’s perspective but also our own.