On the Gulf of Salerno near Vietri 1782 - 1790

Editor: Here we have "On the Gulf of Salerno near Vietri," a watercolor made sometime between 1782 and 1790 by John Robert Cozens. It’s incredibly atmospheric, a real mood piece. The layering of the misty mountain against the stone buildings and then the sea…it all seems carefully placed. What strikes you about it? Curator: I’m particularly drawn to the "plein-air" aspect, or the practice of creating art from direct observation outdoors, in its truest material form. This practice allowed artists like Cozens to engage with the landscape and portray the raw, physical immediacy of nature. Look at how the pigments settle and pool – you see the evidence of water interacting with paper. It really grounds the artwork in the here and now. Editor: So, the location itself is key to understanding the work? Curator: Precisely. Salerno, as a port, would have facilitated a complex web of commerce and exchange, meaning access to materials such as pigments and papers and also distribution. This wasn't some isolated artistic vision, it was a product of material culture. It also allows us to reflect on the role of labour: Consider the people quarrying the stone to build structures on the cliffs! It begs the question: Who truly constructs the landscape? The artist who depicts it, or those who physically alter it? Editor: That's a fascinating reframing. I was caught up in the Romantic feel, but thinking about the actual construction... Curator: Exactly. It changes the entire dynamic. It shows us that landscapes are not only representations but products of material processes and labor. Cozens is capturing a specific historical moment shaped by this relationship. What do you make of it now? Editor: I see it now with new eyes! Thank you, I've learned something new today. Curator: And so have I, this artwork contains much more than it reveals at first glance.