Colonel Woodburn of the Bengal Artillery c. 1803

Curator: Here we have George Chinnery’s oil on canvas portrait, Colonel Woodburn of the Bengal Artillery, now residing at the Tate. Editor: There’s a palpable sense of dominion here. He seems entirely at ease within this space, almost as if he is one with the landscape. Curator: Absolutely. The cross of red across his body makes an interesting X shape. Also, observe how Chinnery uses the tonal arrangement to draw the eye upward. Editor: The figure's posture and the slightly blurred landscape evoke a sense of both authority and adaptation. What does the landscape mean to him, what does he take from it? Curator: Perhaps it implies a successful navigation of the landscape—both literally and figuratively. Editor: It is hard not to read something of empire in that reading. The man, in his uniform, made to match the landscape. Curator: Well put! Chinnery’s manipulation of form and colour offers a rich field for analysis, just as the colonel's placement suggests layers of meaning.