Pesmes 1825

Editor: So, this is Richard Parkes Bonington's "Pesmes." It's a print of some kind, and it feels like a stage set, almost theatrical with the dark foreground framing this sunlit courtyard. What do you make of it? Curator: It's funny you say "stage set," because Bonington was a master of creating atmosphere. Look at how he uses light and shadow, that incredible detail. Notice the drying laundry? And the building, feels almost Italian. Do you think he was inventing, or actually depicting, the scene? Editor: I think it feels both imagined and real. It's like a memory, slightly hazy. Curator: Exactly! It’s that blend that makes Bonington so captivating. He captures a mood, a feeling, more than just a place. And that, to me, is the magic of art. Editor: I see what you mean! I’ll never look at laundry the same way again.