Patriotic Fund 

Editor: Robert Smirke's watercolor and charcoal drawing, "Patriotic Fund," presents an allegorical scene reminiscent of neoclassicism with a hint of Romanticism, but its muted tones create a surprisingly solemn atmosphere. What are we seeing represented here, and how might this work speak to its intended audience? Curator: Considering its context, the work is clearly intended to foster a sense of national pride and unity, likely after a period of conflict or struggle. It visually synthesizes classical allegorical conventions and subtly nods towards British history and contemporary social dynamics, particularly notions of patriotism, sacrifice, and the divinely ordained success of national endeavors. Do you think the average person would read it this way? Editor: Possibly not immediately, although some symbols like the lion or a warrior defeating evil would be obvious. Was Smirke making political statements? Curator: Absolutely. Look at the central figure. She probably embodies Britannia, and she's seated beside the British lion, representing national strength. Then, a blacksmith toils to forge implements of war and the armed warrior slays evil. These tropes served to bolster public morale and legitimize political actions on the part of the Crown. But who did it serve to exclude? Editor: I hadn't thought about exclusion... It makes you wonder whose sacrifices were valorized, and whose stories went unacknowledged, if the undercurrent is to bolster those in power. Thanks, I'm looking at the work quite differently now. Curator: Exactly! Every image, even seemingly straightforward patriotic ones, participates in larger discourses about power, identity, and social order. Considering that enriches how we perceive it.