Mountain Valley 1813 - 1875

Editor: This watercolor painting, titled "Mountain Valley" by Thomas Ender, dating from 1813 to 1875, has a really calming feel to it. The way the light catches the water is lovely. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's beautiful, isn’t it? I see more than just a landscape. Ender's work invites us to consider the relationship between nature and nationhood in the 19th century. How might this idealized depiction of the Austrian Alps connect to ideas of national identity at that time? Consider also that these landscapes were often sites of tourism available to a wealthy elite. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn't considered. So, the romantic vision of nature also intersects with ideas of power and class? Curator: Precisely. And race! Who got to enjoy these landscapes and who was excluded or even displaced? Think about it; this wasn't untouched wilderness. What are the politics of access? Who defines what constitutes “nature” worth preserving or representing? Consider how these paintings shaped, and continue to shape, our understanding and relationship to the natural world, reinforcing particular social and economic structures. Editor: It definitely makes me think about the narratives we build around nature and who those narratives serve. Thank you for shedding a new light on what this landscape could mean! Curator: Of course! Always interrogate the frame. These picturesque views were rarely innocent. Considering historical and social context transforms how we view any artwork, doesn't it?