Carreg Cennan Castle 1844

David Cox painted “Carreg Cennen Castle” sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It shows a landscape view of a ruined castle in Wales with shepherds moving their flock. British landscape painting was changing at this time. In the past, landscapes were idealized and grand, but artists such as Cox began to focus on everyday rural life. Here we see a ruined castle, a symbol of Britain's past, but also farmers, humble workers going about their ordinary lives. This image creates meaning through historical associations, and it invites us to consider how landscape paintings can reflect ideas about British identity and social change. The people and animals shown here are small in scale, dwarfed by the landscape, suggesting that humanity is insignificant in the face of nature's power. Historians can study landscape paintings like this to understand how perceptions of British identity and the romanticization of rural life were shaped by the country's past. Through careful research into the archives of British art institutions, we can contextualize such works of art and discuss their role in the development of British culture.