Reciting for their amusement all the epitaphs on the tombstones 

Curator: This illustration, by Arthur Rackham, seems to capture a rather morbid, yet captivating scene. Editor: Absolutely, there is something so playfully macabre about this composition; a curious blend of light and dark. The use of watercolors lends a soft, ethereal quality, doesn't it? Curator: Rackham employs ink and watercolour in this drawing, a rather popular combination in illustrative works to provide both detail and atmospheric wash. The title, "Reciting for their amusement all the epitaphs on the tombstones," hints at a specific social dynamic and perhaps comments on attitudes toward death in the culture. Editor: I am fascinated by how Rackham's visual language uses the landscape to frame the figures. Note the brick path, how it guides the viewer’s eye and organizes the space in the image; and the colour palette. The interplay between the sombre figures and the pastel hues adds another layer to the picture's tension. Curator: It raises interesting questions, though, about the consumption of grief as entertainment. How were such practices viewed, and what did they say about the social standing of those involved? We see these privileged ladies being entertained, while a man who perhaps earns money by the activity facilitates. What kind of cultural labour does that entail? Editor: I concur; this artwork is about power relations too, I imagine. Yet on a purely aesthetic level, I'm struck by the balance; the formal symmetry and the interplay between lines, the colours are striking without dominating each other... a beautiful structural piece! Curator: I think examining this artwork, we glimpse into past modes of social exchange surrounding death. We need to also examine who can speak for the dead and for what purposes? Editor: Exactly! Through your explanation of social conditions behind the image, I began to view the colour contrasts as a depiction of contrasting social classes that has altered my view. It is a richer viewing now!