Villa Negroni, Rome c. 1800

Curator: Ah, this watercolor, "Villa Negroni, Rome," likely dating from around 1800, captures a feeling of peaceful observation, almost like catching a breath in the middle of a bustling city. Editor: It has a hushed quality. Like a faded memory viewed through mist. The colours seem muted and melancholic to my eyes. Curator: Precisely. It is worth knowing the artwork at The Art Institute of Chicago comes to us courtesy of an anonymous artist and, typical of the era, was rendered en plein air, allowing us to connect directly with how the artist observed and interpreted the Roman landscape. Notice the prominent pines and cypress trees which dominate the middle ground. Editor: Trees are interesting in that they possess such strong symbolic power in the human psyche. Upward reach. Roots into history. Ancient deities living inside… that feeling definitely infuses this little artwork. See how those trees are framing the architectural structures behind them? The domes, the tower. They feel incredibly old and authoritative. Curator: You are right about that framing effect. Also, the way the artist balanced the overall composition – the strong horizontal emphasis, for example – guides the viewer’s eye from the darker foreground through to those tantalizing hints of the buildings in the distance. There is even a touch of Romanticism, I feel. That longing for some lost arcadia is expressed throughout. Editor: Romanticism loved ruins, and what are old buildings and monuments if not testaments to time’s grand march, even if partly hidden from clear sight. The scene speaks of the past but there are so many subtleties too. Watercolors give a delicate touch to a strong structural theme. Curator: It’s as though the artist intentionally softens history’s edges with watercolor's transient charm. So, yes, what appears melancholic also whispers possibilities of enduring beauty in the face of the inevitable passage of time. Editor: Definitely. Like an architectural ghost, lingering to teach some lesson. The symbols carry cultural weight that extends through today, if only we slow to catch them. Curator: What a great way of capturing it. Thanks for lending your symbolic interpretation, helping to reveal layers embedded in what at first seems like an idyllic pastoral scene. Editor: The delight’s all mine. It is amazing to uncover resonances between the inner life of our experiences and the images in the world.