The Installation of the Earl of Westmoreland at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, 1761 c. 18th century

Editor: This intricate print, "The Installation of the Earl of Westmoreland at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, 1761," by Thomas Worlidge, is just teeming with people! I’m struck by the sheer density and how it almost feels like a performance itself. What details jump out at you when you look at this piece? Curator: It's like being dropped right into the thick of it, isn't it? What I see is a stage for societal theatre. Note the dramatic light, almost like a spotlight, and the sea of faces, all hungry for spectacle. Worlidge captures that electric buzz when ceremony meets self-importance, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, the expressions are all different. I guess I was so caught up in the number of people, I didn’t notice. Curator: It makes you wonder, who are these individuals, and what's the story each face could tell? I love that it's a blend of formality and humanity, a staged event bursting with life. Editor: I’m definitely leaving with a new perspective! Curator: Me too, it's a wonderful image!