Cover Side (figures and animals by Sir E. Landseer) Possibly 1839 - 1840

Curator: Here we have Frederick Richard Lee’s “Cover Side,” a painting that features figures and animals by Sir Edwin Landseer; it's part of the Tate Collection. Editor: The dark palette gives it a somewhat melancholic mood, yet the warm light around the figures creates a cozy, contained scene. Curator: This piece really underscores the collaborative nature of art production in the 19th century, particularly within the Royal Academy. Landseer, known for his animal paintings, likely contributed to elevate Lee’s landscape. Editor: It definitely speaks to the social hierarchy of the time, doesn't it? The contrast between the gentry and working-class labor, even in leisure activities like hunting, is quite stark. Curator: Indeed, the layering of artistic contributions, the materials, the canvas itself, it all shows this complex network of production and consumption inherent to Victorian society. Editor: Precisely. Considering it now, I'm struck by how it captures anxieties of class and leisure, cloaked in an idealized pastoral scene. Curator: Food for thought, absolutely. Editor: Definitely.