A Stag Hunt 1793

Editor: This is Samuel Howitt's "A Stag Hunt." It's undated, but he lived from 1756 to 1823. The watercolor feels so classically British. What social narratives do you see at play here? Curator: This scene, so idyllic on the surface, is really about power. Who has the right to claim the land and its resources? Hunting was often tied to class and access. Do you think Howitt is glorifying or critiquing this tradition? Editor: I hadn't considered it that way. The stag seems so vulnerable, it's hard to see it as simply celebratory. Curator: Exactly. Perhaps Howitt is subtly questioning the morality of this "sport," a pastime built on inequality. Editor: That makes me see the painting in a completely new light! Curator: And it prompts us to question who benefits from these kinds of traditions, doesn't it?