Dimensions: support: 686 x 899 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is John Butts' "Poachers: View in the Dargle," a painting of unknown date. I’m immediately struck by the figures dwarfed by the landscape. What story do you see being told here? Curator: The title itself, "Poachers," is a loaded term, suggesting a violation of property rights. But consider the broader social context. Did the law serve everyone equally in 18th-century Ireland? Editor: That’s a good point, it makes you wonder who the law really protects in these kinds of landscapes. Curator: Exactly! We must question whose perspective is privileged in the very act of representation. Editor: I hadn't considered that. It reframes the whole image. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about the painting in terms of power dynamics really changes how we see it.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/butts-poachers-view-in-the-dargle-t01815
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John Butts was a little-known Irish painter whose variety in style can perhaps be explained by his reputed activities as a forger of Flemish landscapes. The enclosed and airless composition of this scene is reminiscent of the few known works by Butts. It shows a view in the Dargle valley in County Wicklow, about ten miles from Dublin. With its fast flowing river and steep mountainous gorge, the Dargle is a place of dramatic natural beauty. The two poachers, hiding behind the rocks, appear to be catching eels. The shot from the gamekeeper's gun, visible in the centre of the composition, adds to the tense mood of the awe-inspiring landscape. Gallery label, September 2004
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