View on the Yare, Norfolk 

Editor: This is John Sell Cotman's "View on the Yare, Norfolk," an etching from the early 19th century. It's a tranquil landscape, but the densely packed trees almost feel claustrophobic. What do you make of this depiction of the English countryside? Curator: Cotman presents a seemingly idyllic scene, yet consider the historical context. Land enclosure acts were displacing rural populations, forcing them into urban poverty. Does this dense, almost suffocating vegetation, hint at the pressures on the land, the lack of space for those displaced? Editor: That's a powerful reading. I hadn't considered the social implications of land use at the time. Curator: The picturesque often obscures the realities of power and dispossession. By framing it this way, we can start to see the landscape as a site of contestation, not just a scene of beauty. Editor: It's amazing how much the context changes the way you look at it. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely, keep questioning the dominant narratives!