Plane-Trees c. 19th century

Editor: This is Alexandre Calame’s "Plane-Trees", held at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like such a Romantic scene. What can you tell me about how this piece fits into its historical context? Curator: Calame's work, while seemingly a simple landscape, reflects the rising popularity of nature as a subject. Consider the rise of tourism at the time—how did that influence the types of scenes artists chose to depict and for whom? Editor: So, this kind of idealized nature scene was made more popular by an increasingly mobile middle class? Curator: Precisely. And what role did art institutions play in shaping public taste for these picturesque landscapes? How do you think museums legitimized this kind of imagery? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. Seeing art as a product of tourism and museum culture really gives it a different dimension. Curator: Indeed. It's all about understanding the socio-political forces that framed its creation and reception.