Banditti Returning 1780

Curator: Right now we’re standing in front of a print called *Banditti Returning*. It was completed around 1780 and is attributed to Robert Blyth after a drawing by James Mortimer. Editor: It strikes me as strangely tender, though the scene feels vaguely unsettling. The sharp, etched lines create a world that's both delicate and somehow dangerous. The characters look…staged. Curator: Yes, "staged" is an interesting word to use. Historically, works like these, which we could classify as "history paintings", aimed to represent events or situations within a moralising historical narrative. So while Mortimer didn't see this, the Banditti returning served to evoke larger-than-life scenes or characters from stories to convey values. Editor: That makes sense. You've got these armed figures escorting a woman, who's head is hung low— presumably taken. What is immediately unsettling to me is her exposed chest. What can this work tell us about power structures related to race and gender during this time period? I am guessing that as “Banditti,” or outlaws, this image depicts a conquering, but through sexual assault. I imagine at that time there was perhaps something titillating about the imagery. Curator: Precisely. These prints circulated among a wide audience, shaping perceptions of marginalised groups. This depiction isn't just about the past. These images normalize conquest. Editor: It's disturbing. To consider this scene as an opportunity for entertainment seems grotesque. To that end, how are we implicated into upholding this continued legacy today? What does it mean for art galleries like this to have a show like this when it's clear about where art begins, what is depicted and what is not. Where do we, as a public, place this sort of imagery? Curator: It gives us an opportunity. An opportunity to talk and be transparent about our own art history. The most we can do is present works like these in their true light while presenting perspectives that address harms done in the process.