View of Reggio and the Straits of Messina 1852

Curator: Edward Lear gives us a stunning vista in his work, "View of Reggio and the Straits of Messina," held at Tate Britain. Editor: The overall impression is quite romantic, isn't it? That diffused light and layering of landscape. Curator: Yes, consider how the formal composition leads your eye—the plant in the foreground, the group of figures, and then the city itself against the backdrop of mountains. Editor: I'm particularly interested in Lear's choice to include those local women in the foreground. What can you tell us about the social context of this landscape? Curator: It's suggestive of travel and colonialism, this gaze upon the landscape mediated by local inhabitants, rendered with a sense of picturesque detail. Editor: True. By positioning those figures so prominently, Lear seems to acknowledge, perhaps unconsciously, the human element within this vast scene. Food for thought, certainly.