Pines on the Coastline 1870 - 1910

Editor: So this is Henri-Edmond Cross's "Pines on the Coastline," probably done sometime between 1870 and 1910. It's a watercolor drawing with pastels and what looks like impasto. I find the almost pointillist technique kind of dreamy and calming. What jumps out to you when you look at this? Curator: The process, without a doubt. Cross wasn’t interested in mimicking reality. He uses a readily available material - watercolor - but the marks! See how they call attention to themselves, not as representations, but as discrete material units. What kind of labor went into building up these individual strokes of paint? Editor: It’s true, they’re really distinct, like he’s building the scene from colorful blocks. Curator: Exactly! And notice how the support – the paper – remains visible. This acknowledges the artwork as a constructed object, an assemblage of materials worked over time. It moves away from the illusionism of earlier landscape painting. Instead, we're focused on *how* it's made. What statement does the emphasis on production make? Editor: That’s fascinating. It's like he wants us to consider the artistic labor, not just the scene itself, but what do you mean by consumption? Curator: Neo-Impressionism moved away from urban life and toward a consumerist culture that changed social relations with things such as fashion or modern advertising. Pointillism may have wanted to create unique handmade creations rather than something fabricated. What do you think? Editor: So, by highlighting the materials and his mark-making, he emphasizes a slower, more deliberate creation process, almost as a commentary on mass production? Curator: Precisely. This emphasis transforms a simple landscape into a thoughtful reflection on art-making itself. We have to acknowledge our connection to this work through the materials themselves. Editor: I never thought about landscape paintings that way. It makes me appreciate the choices Cross made on a totally new level. Thank you!