Landscape c. 18th century

Curator: Here we have Paul Sandby's "Landscape," which, though undated, situates itself within the aesthetic and political landscape of 18th-century England. Editor: It's gorgeous! There is something so idyllic about it, almost like stepping into a dream with those lovely trees and the deer grazing peacefully. Curator: Exactly. Sandby's work often reflects the picturesque movement, emphasizing the aesthetic appreciation of nature, but also the social structures that dictated access to such idealized scenes. How do the figures on the left impact your reading? Editor: It’s a snapshot of privilege, isn’t it? A curated nature where even the wildlife seems placed for effect. I wonder what stories they carry with them? Curator: It invites us to examine the intersections of class, gender, and environment in the construction of beauty. Editor: I feel like I could spend days here uncovering all the stories it has to tell.