A Crowd 

Curator: Here we see "A Crowd" by Samuel Scott, dating from around the mid-18th century. It’s a wash drawing, full of bustling figures. Editor: My first impression is how pale the earth pigments are, giving it a ghostly, unfinished quality, as if the crowd is only partially materialized. Curator: The composition is quite interesting, isn't it? Notice how Scott segments the crowd, using linear perspective to organize the visual field. Editor: Indeed. And I am interested in the technique, the labor involved in the application of the washes. There's a looseness that belies the precision needed to create such depth. Curator: Absolutely. The artist captures a specific kind of social gathering, but transforms the scene into an abstraction of human movement and form. Editor: I'd wager the site itself also impacted the making, as surely he was also part of that bustling crowd. One wonders if he felt himself at odds with the laboring class, or felt bound to them? Curator: Fascinating questions. The artist has undeniably created a work that invites much rumination on this society. Editor: Yes, and that is also reflected in its making, a convergence of skill, materials and societal dynamics.