Goats on the Edge of a Lake c. 1760s

Alexander Cozens made this wash on paper entitled "Goats on the Edge of a Lake" sometime in the 18th century. Cozens was known for his unique approach to landscape art, influenced by the picturesque movement. But let's think for a moment about the cultural meanings embedded in the landscape genre itself. The landscape often projects ideas about national identity, class, and our relationship to the natural world. Here, the goats on the edge are a striking detail. Traditionally, goats have been symbolically linked to masculinity, virility, and even a kind of untamed wildness. What does it mean to place these figures on the 'edge'? Are they literally on the periphery of the lake, or are they on the periphery of something else? The emotional impact of this work resonates in the quiet, somewhat haunting atmosphere Cozens creates, asking us to consider our own position in relation to nature. He leaves us questioning not only what we see, but how we see.