[title not known] c. 1858

Curator: Initially, I'm struck by the subdued palette, predominantly muted reds and blues in what appears to be a watercolor sketch. Editor: This interesting sketch is by Reuben Townroe, a 19th-century artist in the Tate collection. Curator: The figures seem to be arranged within an architectural frame, possibly a pediment. The rough sketch seems to reference classical sculpture. Editor: Absolutely, and I think it's important to consider how classicism often served as a visual language for power and authority in that era. Who had access to that history and the stories it tells? Curator: That’s a very interesting point. Perhaps Townroe is exploring this access through a study of line and form? Editor: Perhaps, but to what end? Whose stories are valued and memorialized in art, and how can we challenge those narratives? Curator: It certainly provides an interesting visual tension. Editor: Precisely, inviting further thought on who is represented and why.