Buildings, Puebla, Mexico 19th-20th century

Curator: Immediately, I’m struck by how this watercolor rendering evokes a sweltering afternoon. Editor: Yes, this is Denman Waldo Ross's "Buildings, Puebla, Mexico," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Curator: The buildings loom, but the artist seems more interested in capturing the light, creating these almost abstract blocks of color. Editor: He's definitely playing with the geometry. Notice how the composition is structured by contrasting angular shapes, from architecture to foliage, all bathed in that diffused light. Curator: It feels unresolved, like a memory fading at the edges. The pale pink mountain in the background reinforces this dreamy effect. Editor: Perhaps that incompleteness is the point. Ross offers not a literal depiction, but a study in form, light, and atmospheric perspective. Curator: Well, whatever it is, this small watercolor packs a quiet, contemplative punch. Editor: Indeed, a succinct testament to the power of suggestion in visual art.