Group of Figures 18th-19th century

Editor: This drawing is "Group of Figures" by Thomas Stothard. I find it kind of hard to read. What's your take on its historical context? Curator: Stothard lived during a time of shifting social values. The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw rising nationalism and the embrace of domesticity. Do you notice how the figures are grouped closely together? Editor: Yes, they seem huddled. Curator: That grouping, along with their simplified forms, might speak to an emerging interest in the family and the innocence of childhood, romanticized within a rapidly changing society. It could be a nostalgic echo of simpler times, don’t you think? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t considered the social implications of their arrangement.