In Deep Mid Winter 

Curator: Before us hangs a painting identified as "In Deep Mid Winter," a landscape possibly rendered in oil paint by Joseph Farquharson. Its title evokes both the season and a sense of immersion. What's your immediate response? Editor: A biting cold, a profound stillness. It feels almost otherworldly, a dreamscape captured in muted tones. There's a solitude to it that's compelling, yet also unsettling, a melancholic journey for sure. Curator: Indeed. The figure of a solitary deer nestled among trees amplifies this mood of solitude. Deer traditionally represent watchfulness, gentleness, and intuition. Do you see any signs of this symbolic tension or dichotomy within it? Editor: Absolutely. The way the sunlight filters through the trees—that stark contrast of light and shadow. It evokes that dualism: hope amidst hardship, vulnerability countered by resilience. Deer as a motif have, at various times, been venerated or hunted; here, it feels exposed. Curator: Precisely. The execution is particularly interesting. Considering how light infuses so many areas of its forest, from that vivid backlight between the trees all the way down to where light bounces in the brook along the painting's lower register, there's much less darkness and shadow. How does that change your perception? Editor: It challenges that initial sense of complete isolation. It becomes less about pure desolation, more about endurance. The light insists on revealing pathways and reflections, possibilities, even within the bleakest circumstances. The question arises: for whom and for what does the deer keep watching? Curator: And the impressionistic and romantic elements invite the viewer to consider not just what is seen, but how it is felt. What resonances do you carry with you after experiencing it? Editor: It stays with me. This interplay of vulnerability and hidden strengths persists, highlighting not only our interconnectedness to the natural world but also mirroring inner battles. It feels less about winter as a season and more like winter as a symbol, demanding that its realities not only be witnessed but be faced with fortitude and resilience. Curator: Beautifully articulated. "In Deep Mid Winter" is indeed a poignant invitation to consider both the outer world and our own internal landscapes, no doubt provoking different reactions at various moments across the history that links us all to that same cultural heritage.