View of Woods and Hills across the Avon Gorge at Clifton c. 1786 - 1800

Editor: Here we have Philip James De Loutherbourg’s “View of Woods and Hills across the Avon Gorge at Clifton,” from the Tate Collections. It's a delicate ink drawing. What strikes me is the way he captures the vastness of the landscape with such minimal detail. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a negotiation of power. The "picturesque" landscapes were often commissioned and consumed by the wealthy, reinforcing their dominion over land and resources. De Loutherbourg, by focusing on the wildness, hints at a critique. Do you think he's celebrating the sublime, or questioning who gets to access and define that experience? Editor: I hadn't considered that angle. It is thought-provoking, I was so focused on the aesthetic appeal. Curator: Right, and that tension – the beautiful versus the political – is precisely where the artwork sparks dialogue. Editor: This gives me a lot to think about concerning landscape art and its cultural implications. Thanks!