A Blot: Tigers c. 1770 - 1780

Curator: Here we have "A Blot: Tigers" by Alexander Cozens, a work of indeterminate date currently residing in the Tate Collections. Editor: It's striking how abstract it is, almost like an inkblot test. I see these powerful shapes and immediately feel a sense of primal energy. Curator: Cozens was well-known for his "blot" landscapes and animal studies, which he saw as exercises to stimulate the imagination, a practice aligned with the picturesque aesthetic of the 18th century. Editor: It's interesting how these seemingly random blots actually force us to confront our own interpretations and project meaning onto the image. What does it mean to capture "tigers" in such a suggestive way? Is it about power, vulnerability, or the human gaze itself? Curator: Indeed, the lack of concrete detail shifts the focus from strict representation to the viewer's perception, echoing broader philosophical debates of the Enlightenment about subjectivity and the limits of empirical knowledge. Editor: This really gets me thinking about the human relationship with nature and wild animals. This isn't a portrait of tigers, it's a portrait of an idea of tigers, which feels very relevant to our current ecological crisis. Curator: A perfect encapsulation of how art from the past can be so strikingly relevant today. Editor: Absolutely, it pushes us to reconsider our assumptions about seeing and knowing.