Dawn in Luton Park 1763 - 1765

Paul Sandby made this watercolor titled, *Dawn in Luton Park*. Sandby was instrumental in establishing watercolor as a key medium for British art, but this tranquil scene belies a moment in time of immense social change. Sandby captures a gentry family at leisure, with an ox-drawn cart in the background. These aesthetic choices mirror the period's emphasis on the picturesque. But this representation also glosses over the economic realities of the time. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the lives of the working class were becoming increasingly regimented and difficult. The artist seems to omit the labour that supports the tranquil scene. Consider the politics of representation. Landscape art often served to reinforce notions of national identity and ownership, frequently at the expense of those who lived and worked on the land. Sandby’s dawn presents an idealized vision of England, a place of natural beauty and aristocratic privilege. This idyllic image obscures the social tensions and inequalities that marked the era.