The Dance on Dun-Can 15 - 1786

Curator: Thomas Rowlandson's etching, "The Dance on Dun-Can," seems to capture a rather chaotic moment, doesn't it? Editor: Utterly! It feels…unbuttoned. The energy practically leaps off the page. The figures seem so…intoxicated with life, or something stronger! Curator: Rowlandson was a master of social satire. He made this around 1786. The men depicted are likely caricatures of Scottish Highlanders, perhaps celebrating on Dun-Can, a peak in the Scottish Highlands. Editor: I love how the lines scratch and swirl; it gives the figures a raw, almost feverish quality. Are they genuinely joyful, or is there something darker lurking beneath the surface of this revelry? Curator: Well, Rowlandson was often critical of excess and folly. Perhaps he’s gently mocking the Highlanders’ enthusiasm, their perceived wildness… Editor: Maybe. Or maybe he’s just capturing a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss, a fleeting escape from the constraints of society. I feel this picture is an invitation to feel alive. Curator: An interesting read. It seems Rowlandson can be interpreted in myriad ways. Editor: Indeed. Art should ignite our soul!