[title not known] 

Editor: This small watercolor painting by the British School, of an unknown title and date, shows a landscape with a figure. I'm struck by its quiet, almost melancholic mood. What do you see here? Curator: I see a reflection of the changing role of landscape in British art and society. How did the rise of industrialization influence perceptions of nature? Editor: It's like a romanticized view in response to urbanization? Curator: Precisely. The figure seems almost secondary, dwarfed by the landscape. How does this imagery contribute to ideas of national identity and the picturesque? Editor: That’s a good point. I hadn't considered that. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It is always important to understand the public role of art.