The Long Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire 1811

David Cox made this watercolor painting of The Long Gallery at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, England, sometime in the early to mid-19th century. Cox used watercolors, pigments mixed with water, which are simple, portable, and quick to use. He’s captured not only the architectural space, but also the soft light filtering through the tall windows. This was a fashionable activity for artists at the time: the landed gentry were eager to have their estates recorded. But think about the Long Gallery itself. What was its purpose? It was a space to display wealth, power, and taste. The portraits hanging on the walls, the elaborate plasterwork on the ceiling, the very size of the room - these were all meant to impress. And let’s not forget the labor involved in creating such a space. From the miners extracting the raw materials to the builders and craftsmen who constructed the hall, it was a massive undertaking. This painting reminds us that art and architecture are always embedded in a network of social relations.