Wooded Landscape 

Curator: This is Dr. Thomas Monro’s “Wooded Landscape,” held in the Tate Collections; though undated, it offers a glimpse into early 19th-century landscape art. Editor: It's a rather somber scene, isn't it? A dense grouping of trees, everything rendered in shades of gray. Curator: I am curious about the paper he used; the texture interacts with the charcoal and wash, creating a tactile quality. You can almost feel the roughness. Editor: One could say that the density of the trees speaks to larger themes of enclosure and the changing relationship between humanity and the natural world during that period. Curator: Perhaps; what strikes me is Monro's almost scientific approach to the distribution of light. It's a study in value and how charcoal can mimic atmospheric effects. Editor: I wonder how this scene reflects the social upheavals of the time. Were these woods spaces of refuge or places of exclusion? Curator: Considering the materials alone allows us to really examine the context of artistic production in this period. Editor: And the interplay of nature and society. Both are essential, really.