Ploughing, Eton c. 19th century

Editor: This is J.M.W. Turner's "Ploughing, Eton." It feels incomplete somehow. What do you see in it? Curator: Note the linear quality, and the relationship between foreground and background. The hazy Eton College is secondary to the laborers. Editor: So you're saying the composition emphasizes the figures in the front rather than the famous school? Curator: Precisely. The formal arrangement guides our reading, shifting focus from the expected landmark to the activity, the ploughing, itself. Editor: I hadn't considered that shift. I guess I was too focused on what was missing!