[title not known] 

Editor: This pen, ink, and wash drawing by George Chinnery shows a bustling port city. The monochrome lends it a historical feel. How do you interpret the artist’s choice to depict this scene? Curator: This image, while seemingly a simple landscape, speaks volumes about colonialism and trade. Chinnery, a British artist in China, captured the visual manifestation of power dynamics. Who is afforded visibility and who is obscured? Editor: That's a really interesting point. The rooftops in the foreground do block a lot of the view. Curator: Precisely. The rooftops might signify a deliberate obscuring of the local population's living spaces, while the European architecture and the harbor activities are highlighted. It's a visual statement about whose story is being told. Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered that perspective. It definitely changes how I see the drawing. Curator: It reminds us that art is rarely neutral and often reflects the sociopolitical realities of its time.