Coursing c. 18th century

Editor: This is "Coursing" by Samuel Howitt. It's hard to say exactly when it was made, but Howitt was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I'm really struck by the energy of the scene, and the way he uses line to suggest movement. What do you notice in terms of its composition? Curator: The dynamic arrangement of forms immediately strikes the eye. Note the interplay of horizontal planes - the landscape, the sky - against the diagonals created by the figures and the receding space. The artist uses line to create texture, defining forms using hatching and cross-hatching to create depth. Editor: So the emphasis is on the formal relationships between elements within the work itself? Curator: Precisely. The focus is on the artist's manipulation of form, line, and space to generate a visually compelling composition, independent of external narratives. Editor: Fascinating. It’s almost like the subject is secondary to the way the image is constructed. I'll definitely look at it differently now. Curator: Indeed. By analyzing its visual language, we gain a deeper understanding of its aesthetic achievement.