Moonrise on the Bure 1922

"Moonrise on the Bure" is a print made by Frank Short, who lived from 1857 to 1945. Short made this print during a period of significant change in British society. As industrialization expanded, so too did a yearning for the simplicity of rural life, especially among the upper and middle classes. Here, Short offers a moonlit scene of the River Bure. A lone figure in a boat suggests both the beauty and isolation of the natural world. The serene scene, however, is punctuated by the presence of windmills in the background. They reflect the increasing encroachment of technology on the English landscape. Short here seems to be asking, how do we balance our desire for progress with the need to preserve the tranquility and beauty of the natural world? What do we gain, and what do we lose?