Uplands and Sky 1886 - 1888

Editor: This is Adrian Stokes’s "Uplands and Sky." I find the vastness of the sky really striking; it almost dwarfs the herd of cattle in the field. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It's interesting how Stokes positions these figures within a landscape tradition tied to notions of national identity and land ownership. Consider how images like this helped construct ideas about the rural ideal. Does it feel idyllic to you? Editor: Not exactly idyllic, more… realistic? Curator: Right. Stokes avoids romanticizing the scene. By depicting grazing cattle under a somewhat turbulent sky, he perhaps subtly acknowledges the economic realities tied to agricultural land use at the time. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It makes you wonder about the intended audience and the message they were meant to receive. Curator: Exactly. Art is never created in a vacuum.