Plate 6 c. 1785

Curator: This Alexander Cozens print, "Plate 6", throws me right into the wildness of untamed nature. It feels so elemental, almost like a charcoal sketch of a dream. Editor: The scene certainly emotes chaos and perhaps evokes the sublime. But I wonder about the colonial gaze embedded within romantic depictions of the natural world. How do Cozens's landscapes participate in a narrative of appropriation? Curator: Maybe. Or perhaps he was simply sketching for himself. Cozens was known for his "blot" technique. He would create abstract shapes and then develop landscapes from them, which is kind of like finding dragons in the clouds. Editor: That's interesting. It’s almost as if the landscape itself is being discovered, waiting to be interpreted and then, in a sense, conquered. Curator: Well, either way, the dark ink against the stark white paper creates an exciting, stark contrast. It makes me want to lose myself in a forest. Editor: It's a potent reminder of the power dynamics we often overlook when viewing such seemingly innocent scenes. Curator: I'll definitely be thinking about that next time I'm hiking in the woods. Editor: As will I.