Bathers; Westminster Bridge in the Distance 

Editor: This is "Bathers; Westminster Bridge in the Distance" by David Cox. It's a sepia drawing. The figures seem unaware, absorbed in their activities. What social dynamics do you see at play in this seemingly calm scene? Curator: It's interesting how Cox situates these figures at the margins of the burgeoning industrial landscape. The bathers’ leisure, likely limited to a certain class, is juxtaposed with the distant bridge, a symbol of progress and perhaps, exploitation. Is their idyll sustainable? Editor: So, it's about the tension between leisure and labor? Curator: Precisely! And considering Cox's broader body of work, we might ask how he grapples with class disparities in a rapidly changing society. Editor: That makes me see the "calm" differently now. Thanks!