[title not known] 1833

Editor: This pen and ink drawing, "Land view of Bengal" by an unknown British School artist, has such a feeling of distance and observation. What can you tell me about this landscape? Curator: It speaks volumes about the power dynamics inherent in colonial landscape art. What does it mean for a "British School" artist to depict Bengal? Editor: I hadn't considered that. Curator: We should ask: whose gaze is privileged here? The artist's perspective, likely aligned with colonial interests, frames the scene. It might exoticize and otherize the people and the place. Editor: So the seemingly simple landscape actually reinforces a colonial hierarchy. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Curator: Absolutely. And thinking about the position of the church in the image – what does that say about the artist's view of power, gender, or race?