Delights of Fishing 1823

Editor: This is "Delights of Fishing," a print by Charles Turner, created in 1823. I’m immediately struck by the odd composition—two figures almost in separate worlds despite being in the same picture plane. What formal elements jump out to you? Curator: The visual construction yields several compelling dichotomies. Observe, for example, the contrast between the active pose of the figure on the left with his exaggerated fishing stance and the almost caricatured inactivity of the figure on the right. Editor: That’s interesting! It feels like two separate sketches were placed next to each other. Curator: Indeed. And, consider the artist’s arrangement of forms. The horizon line sits quite low, emphasizing the sky, but the architectural elements on either side—the distant church spire versus the windmill—do not offer the expected balance. One feels oddly diminutive against the other. How does this imbalance affect your interpretation? Editor: I guess it gives it a whimsical or comedic touch. The figures feel almost incidental, like afterthoughts. Curator: Precisely! It is through such formal relationships that we grasp Turner’s construction of meaning. He sets up a set of pictorial relationships based on active and static space that are mediated and, simultaneously disrupted, by imbalances. The picture space feels more vibrant and modern to the extent that these formal paradoxes occur. Editor: So by looking closely at how the picture is structured we understand more about the effect Turner was aiming for. Curator: Exactly. Form generates feeling; that’s what I see.