Cabman and Policeman 

Editor: This is Charles Samuel Keene's "Cabman and Policeman," held at the Tate. It's a small etching with so much detail despite the quick linework. What can you tell us about its social context? Curator: Look at the materials. Etching allowed for mass production, making images like this accessible to a wider audience. Keene, working for periodicals like "Punch," engaged directly with the Victorian public, commenting on their everyday lives, labor, and class. How does the cab, a symbol of transport and commerce, figure into this? Editor: It feels almost like a stage, with the figures caught in a moment. Was Keene making a statement about society? Curator: Exactly. The print’s composition, with the policeman and cabman, stages a micro-drama of social interaction. The very act of producing and circulating such images democratized observation and critique. Editor: That's fascinating; I never thought about the material's role in social commentary. Curator: Considering the labor involved in both making and depicting scenes of labor is crucial to understanding the work.