Groups of Dancing Figures. Verso: Studies of Seated and Other Figures 

Editor: This is Thomas Stothard's "Groups of Dancing Figures. Verso: Studies of Seated and Other Figures." It looks like a study sheet filled with light, energetic sketches of people. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Stothard's sketches reveal the Enlightenment’s preoccupation with Neoclassical ideals, particularly the human form and celebratory gatherings. But, considering the social stratification of 18th and 19th-century England, who was invited to these celebrations, and whose bodies were considered worthy of artistic representation? Editor: So, it’s about more than just the figures dancing? Curator: Exactly. It makes you consider whose stories are left out, and how power dynamics influence artistic expression. It’s about interrogating the canon. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding who gets to be represented, and why. Curator: Precisely! And how we can use art history to question those power structures today.