Harlech Castle in Merioneth Shire with Snowdon at a Distance 1776

Curator: This is Paul Sandby's "Harlech Castle in Merioneth Shire with Snowdon at a Distance." Editor: It's like a sepia dream, isn't it? So romantic, yet something about the castle looming gives me the shivers. Curator: Sandby, who lived from 1731 to 1809, was capturing not just a landscape but a specific moment of British identity and power. Harlech, a symbol of Welsh resistance, is seen here from an English perspective. Editor: Oh, so it's a bit of a power play in art form, huh? I see those tiny figures down below, almost like ants, crawling beneath the castle's shadow. Makes you think about who gets to tell the stories, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly. Sandby was part of a larger movement defining British identity, often at the expense of Welsh narratives. Editor: Layers upon layers, then. Makes that seemingly simple landscape feel a lot more complex, doesn't it? I'll never look at a castle the same way again.