Lea Castle, Worcestershire, Saloon, Looking North 1811 - 1821

Editor: So, this is John Carter’s "Lea Castle, Worcestershire, Saloon, Looking North," created between 1811 and 1821, rendered in watercolor. It feels almost like a stage set, this meticulously planned interior. What stands out to you? Curator: I see a potent articulation of power, subtly embedded in domestic space. Consider the architectural style, the carefully positioned furniture, and the portraits adorning the walls. How do these elements contribute to a narrative of class and social hierarchy? Editor: I hadn't really thought about it like that, but I suppose the architectural style definitely evokes a certain grandeur. I’d just seen it as pretty. What is it about the space that really speaks to power? Curator: The neoclassical architecture itself is a visual language. Its association with the Enlightenment and ideals of reason served as a means for the elite to assert their authority, through their cultivated taste and inherited wealth. And those portraits - who do you think they depict? What stories are told by *excluding* others? Editor: Presumably, ancestors. Now I'm also wondering about the lack of any human figures populating the room. It makes it feel austere and almost intimidating, even though the colours are quite muted and soft. Curator: Exactly! The absent figures speak volumes about who this space was *really* designed for: not for lived experience, but for the performance of status. A space designed to inspire awe and solidify class boundaries. Editor: So, by depicting this grand, empty saloon, Carter is not just documenting architecture, but also highlighting the socio-political dynamics of the time. I will think about interiors very differently from now on! Curator: Precisely. And isn't it compelling how art can offer insights into social dynamics of class, race, and gender that still resonate today? It asks us to think critically about the spaces we inhabit and whose voices are amplified within them.