The Bridge at Bridgnorth in Shropshire 

Paul Sandby made this watercolor drawing, "The Bridge at Bridgnorth in Shropshire," to capture the picturesque charm of the English countryside. During the 18th century, England was undergoing significant social and economic changes. Sandby’s work reflects a growing interest in the ‘picturesque’ – an aesthetic ideal that celebrated the beauty of untamed nature and rural life. However, this idealized view often obscured the realities of poverty and labor. The women washing clothes in the river contrast with the grandeur of the bridge and the quaint architecture. While Sandby romanticizes the scene, we might consider the gendered division of labor and the daily struggles of working-class women. Did Sandby acknowledge their presence, or were they simply part of the scenery? Sandby's art provides a window into the complex interplay between nature, society, and representation in 18th-century England. It invites us to reflect on whose stories are told and whose are left out of the picture.