A Large Cloud c. 1905

Curator: This is Joan González's drawing, "A Large Cloud." Though undated, González worked predominantly in the late 19th century. What do you make of this simple sketch? Editor: Stark. A landscape, yes, but dominated by the mood, that big brooding cloud hanging over everything, like a thought you can’t shake. Curator: The Tate acquired this piece, which is executed with pencil on paper, precisely because it speaks to the artist's broader concerns with depicting atmosphere and landscape. Editor: It’s funny, isn’t it? How something so minimal can feel so complete. The trees reaching up, almost clawing at the sky, that figure… it’s like we’re all just figures in a much bigger, less defined, drama. Curator: It’s also a striking example of how artists used drawing as a tool for observation and documentation before the widespread use of photography. Editor: Makes you wonder what he was feeling, standing there with his pencil, trying to capture all that…weight. Anyway, I’m off to find a sunnier room, metaphorically speaking. Curator: A sentiment I understand completely. Thank you.