An Italian Lake Scene with Dead Tree 

Editor: This is Alexander Cozens’ "An Italian Lake Scene with Dead Tree," a small, monochromatic drawing from the 18th century, housed at the Tate. It feels melancholic. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious landscape? Curator: I see a reflection on the sublime and its cultural encoding. The dead tree isn't just an aesthetic element, it's a symbol of decay, of empires fallen, which were powerful symbols in the 18th century. What does Italy mean to you? Editor: A place of beauty, ruins and rebirth? Curator: Exactly. Cozens is engaging with ideas about nature, history and the passage of time, all tied to the power structures of his era. It’s a quiet resistance to idealized landscapes. It makes you think about colonialism, doesn't it? Editor: It does, now that you mention it. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Art often operates on multiple levels. It's about making connections between what we see and what we know.