Title Page: Animals of Various Species Accurately Drawn 

Curator: This is Francis Barlow's "Title Page: Animals of Various Species Accurately Drawn," currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: What strikes me is the predatory energy captured in such a small space. The wolf-like creature with bird wings, clutching its prey, evokes a primal drama. Curator: Barlow's work often depicted animals in ways that reflected societal views of nature and hierarchy. This image, functioning as a title page, likely introduces a broader exploration of the animal kingdom. Editor: The winged predator feels almost allegorical, as if Barlow's using animal symbolism to say something about human nature. Is it about dominance, survival, or something else? Curator: The setting—the farmhouse, the figure on the fence—suggests a world where humans are also part of this natural order, observing and perhaps influencing it. Barlow was very active in the public sphere. Editor: It is remarkable how much Barlow manages to convey, encapsulating both naturalism and symbolism into a single image. Curator: Absolutely, the print highlights the complex relationships that artists and society have always had with the natural world.