[Still-life of Game with Rake and Onion Jar] 1854 - 1860

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, '[Still-life of Game with Rake and Onion Jar]' by T. R. Williams, dates from 1854 to 1860. It has such a somber feel to it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The dead animals laid out certainly evoke a feeling that many would find somber. I see more than just that though. It asks us to consider our relationship to food and labor. This was shot in an era where industrialization changed working practices for much of the English populace. Are the objects depicted merely decorative, or do they tell a deeper story about humans' exploitation of the natural world? How does that contrast with modern day practices of 'buying' food and outsourcing it to different areas? Editor: So it's not *just* a still life, but a statement about society's shifting relationship with its resources. I hadn't thought of that. Curator: Exactly! These meticulously arranged objects invite questions about who has access to resources and who profits from them, especially when considering social and economic inequalities of the Victorian era. Think about the symbolism. Do those dead animals represent only food, or something else? Editor: They could stand for vulnerability and a loss of control, especially if we look at it from the animal's perspective... it's definitely not just a picture of dinner anymore. Curator: Precisely. The image operates as both documentation of cultural traditions of hunting *and* can also be viewed as a stark commentary on human dominance over the animal kingdom, so there is an ambiguity in the purpose. What do you make of that tension between objective recording and subtle social commentary? Editor: I think that tension is what makes it such an interesting piece! It reflects real life - most things have multiple conflicting angles and layers, even if they seem simple on the surface. Thanks, that was a real eye opener! Curator: Glad to help shift your perspective! Now I am wondering what the onion jar symbolizes.