St Catherine’s Chapel, Abbotsbury, Dorsetshire, engraved by J. Greig Possibly 1802

Editor: Here we have Edward Dayes' engraving of St Catherine's Chapel. It feels remote, a bit melancholic. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: I see a powerful statement on the appropriation of sacred spaces. Consider how the Church, historically, exerted control, often violently, over marginalized communities. Does this image reflect a romanticized view of religious authority, or does the ruin hint at resistance and the eventual decay of such power structures? Editor: That's a compelling perspective. I hadn't considered the ruin as a symbol of resistance. Curator: It invites us to question whose stories are told and whose are erased when we focus solely on aesthetic beauty. Perhaps the shepherd is a powerful symbol of the oppressed reclaiming their land? Editor: I like that! I'll definitely look at historical landscape art differently from now on. Curator: Indeed, art challenges us to confront uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and representation.