Sheep c. 19th century

Curator: Before us is "Sheep," an undated etching by Robert Hills, who was born in 1769. Editor: They seem so still, almost melancholic. The lines are delicate, but there's a certain weight in the rendering of the sheep’s wool. Curator: I think Hills is subtly commenting on agrarian life. Consider how sheep were often symbolic of the working class in the late 18th and early 19th centuries – docile, easily led, exploited. Editor: That's interesting. I saw only a straightforward depiction. But now I see how their passivity might be read as reflecting a certain social power dynamic. Curator: It's a potent image when seen through that lens. Editor: Indeed. It makes you wonder about the artist’s intentions – or even subconscious leanings.