Nuns before an Altar. Verso: Two Nuns 

Curator: Thomas Stothard's "Nuns before an Altar," currently in the Tate Collections, presents a sketch-like view of religious life. Editor: It’s the raw quality of the sketch that grabs me—the immediacy of the ink on paper, the swift capturing of gestures. Curator: Stothard, active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, often focused on scenes of everyday life, though usually more polished than this. The sketch may have been a study for a larger, commissioned piece. Editor: The material reality of monastic life is quite literally laid bare here—the austerity, the ritual. The quick strokes denote simple garments, repeated gestures. It speaks volumes about repetitive labor. Curator: Indeed, and the composition also reflects the church's role in structuring society, dictating roles and rituals. How do you feel about the depiction? Editor: There’s a certain detachment, a sense of observing rather than participating, which I find very telling about class and production. Curator: It's a glimpse into a world shaped by faith and societal expectations. Editor: Precisely—a reminder of the labor behind devotion, visible in the material.