Colonel Onslow's Lodge at Try-Hill, near Chertsey, Surrey c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have Michael "Angelo" Rooker's "Colonel Onslow's Lodge at Try-Hill, near Chertsey, Surrey," a print with incredible detail. The figures seem so small, dwarfed by the landscape and architecture. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: I see a fascinating tension between nature and the constructed environment. The printmaking process itself, the labor involved in reproducing this scene for consumption, highlights how even seemingly idyllic landscapes become commodities, consumed by a growing middle class. Notice how the very act of viewing transforms the lodge into a possession. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. The method really does influence our understanding. Curator: Exactly. Considering the materials and the means of production reveals a lot about the social context in which it was made and consumed. Editor: I've definitely learned to appreciate the layers of meaning embedded in the process.