Two Landscapes; verso: Three Landscapes 1860

Editor: This is "Two Landscapes; verso: Three Landscapes" by Sanford Robinson Gifford. It's a delicate pencil drawing. What's striking is the visible texture of the paper; you can almost feel the artist at work. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a direct link to Gifford's process. The sketch's materiality—the paper, the graphite—reveals the labor involved in quickly capturing these scenes. These weren't intended as finished works but as studies. How does that impact our understanding? Editor: That shifts the focus. It’s not just about the picturesque scene, but about Gifford's working methods and artistic choices made in the moment. I never thought of it that way. Curator: Exactly! It forces us to reconsider what we value in art: the polished product or the raw, material evidence of creation. Editor: I'll definitely look at sketches differently now.