Nancy Cock - Clear Starcher c. 1815

Curator: This is Thomas Rowlandson’s "Nancy Cock - Clear Starcher," dating back to around 1815. A relatively modest watercolor drawing in the Romantic style. What strikes you about it? Editor: I am immediately drawn to the materiality implied by its depiction: the very act of starching is rendered with delicacy through these loose washes of pigment. The emphasis on Nancy Cock’s profession situates it in a conversation about labor and craft in that period. Curator: Indeed. The linear quality is central to my reading, though. Notice how the window frames, the birdcage, the sign with her name — they all create a system of right angles, anchoring Nancy's more organic form. What meaning do you find there, considering her station? Editor: I think the grid formed by the cage and window almost becomes a visual metaphor for the constraints placed on working women at that time. Her labor literally confined her, even as starching allowed for a means of autonomy within rigid societal structures. It's crucial how Rowlandson chooses to represent it. Curator: Interesting! For me, though, it is the balance of light and dark across the plane. Light pours onto Nancy's face, the hanging fabric, contrasted by the shadowy interior. Rowlandson draws attention to these contrasts. Note, too, her pearls — and then the stark text "Clear Starcher," suggesting a societal hierarchy between personal adornment and working role. Editor: That’s a valuable reading! Thinking about the production and context, clear starching demanded high skill; achieving the immaculate stiffness associated with linen garments was labor-intensive work. Starch itself would have been painstakingly crafted by women using wheat or potatoes—the labor story is present on so many levels. Curator: A well-observed and considered point! The piece functions, doesn't it, both as a snapshot of society and also a network of structured visual components working harmoniously? Editor: I agree. By engaging with the material practices behind the art's subject, we uncover richer layers within Rowlandson's drawing, making the work even more significant. Curator: Precisely. This drawing provides ample material for a thorough semiotic and historical reading of the time.