Caerlaverock Castle c. 19th century

Curator: This is Edward Goodall's rendering of Caerlaverock Castle. It's a somewhat haunting image, isn't it? Editor: Definitely a melancholic scene. The way the castle seems to rise out of the water, like a forgotten monument, speaks to ideas of power, decay, and the ephemerality of human achievement. Curator: The materiality also hints at a social context. Was this made for the elite, consumed by them as a reflection of their status? Or was there a wider audience accessing these images, perhaps fueling a romantic view of Scottish history? Editor: It's fascinating to think about how this castle, once a site of conflict and domination, is now rendered almost passively, a picturesque scene for consumption. Who gets to tell its story, and how? Curator: The labor involved in its creation too! The processes of etching and printing made these images available on a scale that painted canvases never could. Editor: Yes, and looking at this image, I’m struck by the thought of how landscapes are never truly neutral. They're always shaped by the power dynamics and social narratives we project onto them. Curator: I’m left pondering the choices in production, how they shift an understanding of the Castle. Editor: Absolutely. And I'm thinking about how we can reclaim and retell these histories from marginalized perspectives.