A Seascape 

Editor: Thomas Stothard's "A Seascape," from the Tate Collections, is a delicate, almost meditative piece. The lone boat really stands out. What symbolic weight does a small vessel carry in such a vast expanse? Curator: The ship often symbolizes our journey through life. Here, the indistinct horizon, the lack of a clear destination, evokes a sense of mystery, perhaps even vulnerability, when facing the unknown. What emotions does it stir in you? Editor: It makes me think of the sublime, that feeling of being overwhelmed by nature. Curator: Precisely. Stothard's choice of the ship as the central, and almost only, element focuses on our personal relationship with nature's immensity and power, the individual's place within a larger story. Editor: I didn't think about it that way! Thanks for clarifying that. Curator: My pleasure. It's amazing how much meaning can be packed into a simple image.