Drawing for ‘Punch’ 

Curator: This is Charles Keene’s "Drawing for ‘Punch’" currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It’s a fleeting moment—a park scene bursting with life, yet somehow wistful. Curator: Keene worked extensively for 'Punch' magazine. This drawing would likely have been the foundation for a wood engraving intended for mass consumption. Editor: I see a story trying to come out. The dress of the woman, the children’s clasped hands, the faceless figures in the background. Is it nostalgia, class division, or something more? Curator: Keene's work often provided satirical commentary on Victorian society, which would reach a wide audience through print. Editor: I wonder how different that audience would respond to this drawing as a 'finished' piece versus the engraving. I find it captivating as it is. Curator: It gives us a glimpse into the artist's process and the labor of creating images for mass media. Editor: Absolutely. And in its raw state, it pulls us in, demanding our own interpretation.