East Front of Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire 1790

This watercolor, "East Front of Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire," was made by R. Blasson around the late 18th or early 19th century. It shows the stately home in a detailed wash of color on paper. Watercolors are interesting, because they seem so straightforward, but they are also deceptive. With them, an artist like Blasson could suggest the texture of stone, the vastness of the landscape, and the sheer labor involved in erecting such a grand building. Think of the quarries, the brick kilns, the carpenters, the masons, the teams of horses – all directed to the singular purpose of producing this monument to wealth. And then think of Blasson, carefully deploying his craft to make the scene come to life. Ultimately, a drawing like this is a testimony to many kinds of work, not just artistic labor but the labor of empire, too. It reminds us that any artwork is really a collaboration between the artist, their materials, and a whole society.