Scene near Bathford n.d.

E. Parker created "Scene near Bathford" using etching and aquatint. This landscape offers a glimpse into the picturesque aesthetic that was fashionable in late 18th-century Britain. But beyond its scenic charm, we might consider the social and economic structures that frame this seemingly innocent view. Notice the figures in the foreground: a rider on horseback and two people standing next to the river and some cows. Who are these people, and what is their relationship to the land? In this era, land ownership was concentrated in the hands of a wealthy elite, while many rural laborers and farmers faced poverty and displacement. These questions invite us to consider how representations of the landscape can both reflect and mask the complex power dynamics that shape our relationship to the environment. Parker’s work prompts us to reflect on whose stories are told and whose are left out.