Landscape, Arequipa, Peru 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross's watercolor titled, "Landscape, Arequipa, Peru", housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The dimensions are intimate, roughly 8 by 10 inches. Editor: It feels airy, almost like a fleeting memory. The soft washes of color give it a dreamlike quality. Curator: Ross employs rapid sketching, capturing the landscape's essence through loose strokes and diluted pigments. Note how the materials, watercolor on paper, lend themselves to immediacy. Editor: The mountains in the background, rendered in that blush hue, almost feel maternal, watching over the scene below. The gateway could symbolize a passage into the unknown. Curator: Perhaps Ross sought to replicate what Andean culture symbolizes, using materials and techniques to blur the lines between representation and sensation. Editor: It's an interesting take. What stays with me is this feeling of a serene otherworldliness. Curator: Indeed. The blending of place and feeling.