[inscriptions not by Turner] 

Editor: This is a small sketch by Philip James De Loutherbourg, titled “[inscriptions not by Turner]”. It seems to be a quick notation of a place: “Rock near the Lime Kilns, Bristol Downs”. What symbols might have resonated for viewers of this landscape at that time? Curator: The lime kilns themselves are potent symbols. Lime production involved intense heat and transformation. Are the rocks natural formations, or are they quarry remnants? That industrial backdrop hints at the era's emerging scientific rationalism, challenging older, more romantic views of nature. Editor: So, the "natural" and the "industrial" landscapes carry different symbolic weights. Curator: Precisely. De Loutherbourg asks us to consider how we are changing the landscape, and what that signifies. He asks us, are we building or destroying something sacred? Editor: That gives me a new appreciation for what appears, at first glance, like a simple notation. Thank you!