Mountains and Sunset 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Mountains and Sunset," a watercolor piece at the Harvard Art Museums. The mountains are almost swallowed by the darkness, yet the sunset blazes above. What strikes you most about it? Curator: It evokes the sublime, doesn't it? Consider how landscape painting, especially during periods of industrial expansion, served as a powerful reminder of nature's force. Here, Ross uses watercolor to suggest both the beauty and potential threat of the natural world. What does the interplay of light and shadow suggest to you about the relationship between humanity and nature? Editor: I guess it shows how we're just a small part of a much bigger picture. Curator: Precisely. It urges us to consider our impact on this planet, and how fleeting our time here truly is. Editor: I never thought about it that way before. Curator: Art opens up such possibilities.