Gezicht op de ruïnes van Sint-Johns Castle Possibly 1793

James Newton made this print of the ruins of St. Johns Castle in County Roscommon. Prints like these depicting picturesque ruins were popular in late eighteenth-century Britain and Ireland, due to the rise of Romanticism. This was a cultural movement that valued emotion, imagination, and the beauty of nature. Ruins symbolized the passage of time and the transience of human achievement, which had a powerful appeal to Romantic sensibilities. It is worth noting that in British and Irish culture, picturesque prints also served a political purpose. They helped to construct a sense of national identity by showcasing the country's history. The ruins of castles were visual reminders of past conflicts and power struggles. As historians, we use a range of resources, such as letters, diaries, and newspapers, to understand how art reflects and shapes society. Art’s meaning is always contingent on its social and institutional context.