22. Half Cloud Half Plain, the Clouds Lighter than the Plain Part, and Darker at the Top than the Bottom. The Tint Twice Over in the Plain Part, and Once in the Clouds 

Editor: Here we have Alexander Cozens' "22. Half Cloud Half Plain..." from the Tate Collection. I’m immediately struck by its almost diagrammatic quality; it feels more like a scientific study than a landscape. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It is interesting how Cozens combines artistic expression with scientific observation. Consider how the political and intellectual climate of the Enlightenment valued empirical study. Do you think this image reflects a societal desire to classify and understand the natural world? Editor: That's a great point. It's like he's dissecting the sky. I never thought about it in relation to the Enlightenment. Curator: Exactly! By reducing the landscape to its essential components, Cozens invites us to analyze its structure and, perhaps, our relationship with nature itself. Editor: I see it differently now, thanks!