Terrace at Wentworth Castle 1848

Elizabeth Murray made this watercolor painting, Terrace at Wentworth Castle, sometime in the 19th century. It offers us a glimpse into the life and landscapes experienced through the eyes of a woman artist during a time of significant social change. As women gained more access to education and artistic training, their perspectives began to infiltrate the art world. Murray, who was born in 1815, lived through an era of evolving gender roles, as well as shifting social landscapes. The painting doesn’t attempt to capture history with a capital H, but rather with a soft and subtle hand. It is a quiet moment of everyday life at Wentworth Castle, one where the artist is also present. Who are the women in this composition? What are their lives like in relation to the grandness of the landscape? How does this scene make you feel? Murray seems to suggest that within the vastness of history, it is these intimate, personal narratives that truly resonate.