Seascape with Aeneas on Delos 1671

Editor: So, this is Claude Lorrain's "Seascape with Aeneas on Delos," painted in 1671, using oil on canvas. It has a wonderfully subdued quality. I’m curious, how do you interpret this work, especially considering the materiality of oil paint during the Baroque period? Curator: It’s crucial to remember that the seemingly ‘natural’ landscapes of Lorrain were deeply constructed through specific economic and social relations. Consider the procurement of pigments. Where did they source their ultramarine, their ochres? The canvas itself speaks to systems of trade and access. Think about the laborers involved – from mining the raw materials to weaving the canvas. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the literal hands involved in creating the materials. How does this connect with the narrative being portrayed? Curator: Well, Aeneas’s journey isn’t simply a mythological tale; it’s about establishing power, trade routes, and new societies. Lorrain’s landscapes, idyllic as they seem, mirror the ambitions of the rising merchant class. The *process* of creating the artwork becomes symbolic of the colonial project itself. What kind of patronage enabled such work? For what purpose was it produced? Editor: So you're saying that even the 'escapism' of a landscape can't be separated from the practical realities of its creation? Curator: Precisely! By attending to these aspects, we challenge the romantic notion of the artist as solitary genius and recognize the network of production that underpinned these stunning scenes. It requires us to understand how social power manifested through artistic expression and patronage. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. I will never see landscapes the same way. Thanks. Curator: Likewise! It is by looking through different lenses that we gain greater insight into art.