Flowers and Trees 19th-20th century

Curator: Denman Waldo Ross gives us "Flowers and Trees," a watercolor piece currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, a little slice of dreamy summer, isn’t it? Makes me want to grab a blanket and sprawl out. Curator: I think that Ross’s placement of the viewer within this idyllic landscape speaks to a broader anxiety around industrialization and the desire for a simpler past. Editor: Maybe. Or maybe he just liked painting pretty trees. I can almost feel the sun warming my face just looking at the dappled light. Curator: These kinds of scenes became popular during the late 19th century because they offered an escape, a retreat to nature, particularly for the burgeoning middle class. Editor: I suppose, but art doesn't always have to be heavy, you know? Sometimes it's just about capturing a feeling. A memory. Curator: And it is in accessing that history of feeling where we can also better understand both the artist's intention and a particular historical moment. Editor: True that! Anyway, I'm ready for a nap under those trees.