Dover Pier, engraved by J.W. Appleton 1836

Editor: This is Clarkson Stanfield’s "Dover Pier," engraved by J.W. Appleton. I find the scene quite turbulent. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This print reflects the enormous social and economic shifts of 19th-century Britain, especially the rise of maritime trade and its impact on coastal communities. Consider Dover as a crucial port, not just for commerce, but also for projecting British power. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture of the seaside? Curator: Exactly. The pier is a site of labor, immigration, and colonial expansion. How do you read the relationship between the natural landscape and these human activities? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It definitely gives me a new perspective on landscape art. Curator: It's vital to see art as entangled with the political and social forces of its time.