[title not known] 

Curator: This watercolor piece, currently without a title, is attributed to Lady Susan Elizabeth Percy, who lived from 1782 to 1847. It's part of the Tate collection, and measures about 27 by 18 centimeters. Editor: I'm immediately struck by how dreamlike it feels. The soft washes of color give the whole scene an ethereal quality. Like a memory, perhaps, fading at the edges. Curator: Absolutely. Lady Susan was part of the aristocracy, and these garden scenes were quite popular among that class as they evoked ideals of leisure and cultivated beauty. Editor: The figures almost blend into the landscape, which makes me wonder if the artist was less interested in portraiture and more interested in capturing the mood of the place, that sense of romantic reverie. Curator: Yes, this speaks to the increasing importance of personal expression in art at the time, moving beyond pure representation to convey sentiment and atmosphere. Editor: I can almost smell the damp earth and feel the cool shade under those trees. It invites you to pause and reflect, doesn’t it? Curator: It does indeed, reflecting a period where art started embracing the subjective experience.