A Town beyond a Lake 

Editor: Here we have Alexander Cozens’ "A Town beyond a Lake". It is a sepia wash on paper. The tonality is lovely, almost dreamlike. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a landscape shaped by the socio-economic forces of its time. The sepia wash, a relatively inexpensive technique, suggests art production becoming more accessible. Consider how paper production impacted artistic expression. Editor: That’s interesting. So, the materials themselves democratized art? Curator: Precisely. The availability of materials influenced who could create and consume art, shaping the very landscape we see depicted here. The labor involved in creating paper and sepia ink also should be considered. Editor: I never thought of it that way before, focusing on the means and materiality behind the image. Curator: Exactly, always consider the process and social implications behind the making.