In the mangel field 1902

Editor: This is David Bates' "In the Mangel Field," painted in 1902 with oil paints, a slice of rural life painted *en plein air.* It strikes me as intensely peaceful, even still – a snapshot of a world moving at a slower, more deliberate pace. What do you see when you look at this, especially considering its context? Curator: You’re right, it’s stillness embodied, isn’t it? But that tranquility, that’s carefully crafted, I think. Look at the detail in the foreground, those almost photographic patches of vegetation, versus the vagueness of the figures in the distance. Bates is choosing what to sharpen, what to blur – manipulating our gaze to focus on the agricultural present more than, say, the social implications hinted at in the distant workers. Does that stillness feel a bit...*intentional* now? Almost staged? Editor: That’s an interesting point. I hadn’t considered the choice in focus as contributing to a curated stillness. It felt very ‘slice of life’ initially, but you’re suggesting it’s a deliberate construction. Curator: Precisely! Think about it: mangel-wurzel, a type of beet grown as animal fodder, implies livestock farming, a whole web of economic realities beyond this pretty picture. And he largely keeps them blurred. Do you think this contributes or subtracts to its artistry? Editor: Subtracted to begin, until you pointed that detail out! I notice how much I'm reading INTO it now, rather than passively viewing the aesthetic surface. This feels more layered. Curator: It is. And Bates allows that through masterful deception. You've gotten closer to him. I find it remarkable that brushstrokes hold within their dance a kind of reality. Editor: Definitely changes my perspective. I see far more artistry in the intention behind that sense of calm. It is so worth reflecting upon.