Lady Evelyn Leveson Gower and the Marquis of Stafford c. 19th century

Editor: This is Samuel Cousins' print, "Lady Evelyn Leveson Gower and the Marquis of Stafford." It feels so staged, but also idyllic. The children are arranging flowers on a statue, with dogs all around. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The garland is an ancient symbol of cyclical time, marking rites of passage, and crowning victors. The children weaving it onto the statue suggest a reverence for tradition, but also a human desire to imprint meaning onto the inanimate. What do you think this act signifies about their place in the world? Editor: It's interesting to think about how such a simple gesture can carry so much weight. Curator: Indeed, every image, every symbol is a palimpsest, layered with cultural memory.