The Wrekin, Shropshire c. 1777 - 1783

Editor: This drawing, "The Wrekin, Shropshire," was created by Francis Towne between 1777 and 1783, using pencil. It's really atmospheric; the misty light and the shapes of the clouds make it seem quite romantic. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a carefully constructed image that balances a realistic depiction of the landscape with symbolic meaning. The Wrekin itself looms large, acting almost as an archetype, a mother mountain. Note the wispy clouds gathered at its peak; does that recall for you smoke rising from an altar, signifying some sacredness ascribed to the earth? Editor: That's interesting. I was so caught up in the Romantic feel, I didn't really consider symbolism. Do you think Towne was consciously imbuing the landscape with religious meaning? Curator: Perhaps not overtly religious, but spiritual. Think about the period – Romanticism, a movement very much engaged with notions of the sublime in nature and individual feeling. What feelings does this image evoke in you? Does it make you consider its scale and compare it with the smallness of figures on the plain, for instance? Editor: Yes, definitely a sense of scale and also, a feeling of…longing. Like a perfect memory. Curator: Precisely! He’s tapping into a cultural memory of place, the sense of history and belonging tied to specific locales. And consider how this emotional weight translates via formal elements -- the monochrome, its inherent nostalgic tone, for example. Does our dialogue affect your impressions of this picture? Editor: Absolutely! Now I'm considering the landscape as more than just scenery, but also a carrier of history and feeling.