Southern Harbour 1692 - 1744

Editor: So, here we have Isaac de Moucheron’s “Southern Harbour,” an oil on canvas piece made sometime between 1692 and 1744. It’s got a rather melancholy feel, these ruins depicted in monochrome… What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: I am struck by the materiality of this canvas. Think of the production of the pigment, the canvas itself, the brushes. Consider the labor involved in each stage. And then consider the intent: this carefully constructed landscape idealizing classical ruins wasn't made in a vacuum. Editor: Right, it's a representation, not necessarily reality. How does the 'real world' factor in, then? Curator: These ruins weren't just aesthetic; they were the physical manifestation of an empire, constructed with slave labor, fueled by resource extraction. And here they are, repackaged as picturesque scenery. The very act of painting it is tied to trade networks and a certain social class with the money and leisure to contemplate this carefully created, nostalgic image. Editor: So you’re saying the image itself participates in this system, by aestheticizing a very specific and privileged view of history? Curator: Precisely! Notice, for example, the figures at the bottom, seemingly at leisure; they are consuming this aesthetic experience. Consider how Moucheron manipulates the materiality of paint to suggest depth, texture and tone. The making of this art relies on a pre-existing social structure. Do you think the monochrome aspect contributes to that sense of distant nostalgia, a sort of controlled decay? Editor: I think that makes perfect sense. The lack of colour definitely lends itself to that… a way of processing a world, commodifying its aesthetic for consumption, as you mentioned. I’ll never look at a landscape quite the same way again! Curator: Hopefully not! It’s about unraveling all of the embedded layers in the artwork!