Tree Study 

Curator: Here we have Thomas Gainsborough's "Tree Study," currently residing in the Tate Collections. It's a small pencil drawing, only about 190 by 151 millimeters. Editor: It's captivating. The slightness of the line against the pale paper gives it a serene, almost ghostly quality. There’s a real sense of air and light despite its simplicity. Curator: Gainsborough made many of these studies. It was his way of cataloging the English landscape around him. He was interested in the pastoral economy and landowners profiting from natural resources. Editor: I'm drawn to the skeletal composition. The pencil work creates a complex and sophisticated interplay of shadow and light. Curator: Right, and considering the paper quality, he was also interested in the economics of art materials. He wasn’t simply sketching for pleasure, but for commercial success and the possibility of turning these landscapes into large scale paintings. Editor: Ultimately, a study in the elegance of form. Curator: Yes, one of many studies that reveal the complex social relationships embedded in nature.