All Saints Church, Hastings 1811

David Cox painted All Saints Church, Hastings with oil on paper, during the 1800s. With loose brushwork, Cox lays down strokes of blues, greens, and browns, conjuring a rural scene dominated by the imposing stone church. But it's the foreground details that capture attention. A thatched structure, perhaps a barn, suggests the labor-intensive craft of rural life. A figure leaning against a fence evokes a sense of the everyday, the working class at rest amidst their labor. It’s crucial to reflect on what has been captured through the materials and processes: the weight of stone used to build the church, the texture of the thatch, the loose brushstrokes, and the color to evoke a specific mood. These artistic decisions elevate a simple landscape, and allow us to consider the social fabric of the English countryside. By focusing on the ways in which things are made, we can appreciate how deeply intertwined art is with the world of labor, class, and cultural life.