Osiers and Pollard Willow 1850

Editor: Harding's "Osiers and Pollard Willow," a drawing, has such a quiet, contemplative mood. What visual symbols or cultural meanings do you see embedded in this landscape? Curator: The osiers and pollard willows themselves are potent symbols. Pollarding, the practice of pruning trees, speaks to humanity's interaction with nature, a controlled shaping. How does that tension between nature and control resonate with you? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered that. So the trees are not just trees. Curator: Exactly. They represent a negotiation, a deliberate intervention. This landscape, therefore, holds a history of human influence. Notice how the trees in the distance are wilder? Editor: That makes the boat with people in it a stronger symbol now, too, doesn't it? It’s all connected. Curator: Precisely. It's about finding ourselves within the broader narrative of nature and culture.