Whitby 

Editor: Here we have John Sell Cotman's "Whitby," a lovely drawing from the Tate. The scene is so detailed, yet also feels quiet and personal. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: What’s fascinating is how Cotman uses this seemingly tranquil scene to engage with ideas of the picturesque, making Whitby—and its history—consumable for a growing tourist market. Notice how the ruin is framed, becoming an object of aesthetic contemplation. Editor: So, the composition itself is a form of marketing? Curator: Precisely. It packages a specific version of the past. The figures in the foreground contribute, too. They are not merely present; they are consuming the view, much like the intended audience of this drawing. Editor: I never thought about landscape art being shaped by the art market! Curator: Cotman cleverly positioned himself within a shifting cultural landscape. It is nice to bring some of this context to light.