The Logan Rock, Cornwall 1818

Editor: Here we see Peter De Wint’s “The Logan Rock, Cornwall," a print held at the Tate. It feels like a documentary image, but it’s also quite picturesque. What do you see in this piece, considering its role as a public image? Curator: It strikes me as deeply tied to the picturesque movement and its popularization of landscape. Consider how prints like this circulated, shaping perceptions of Cornwall. The figures on the rock, are they tourists, locals, scientists measuring the rock? Editor: That's a great point! I didn't consider how De Wint's image helped shape the popularity of the place. Curator: Exactly! These images weren't just records; they actively participated in constructing a cultural narrative around landscape and national identity. They were instruments in the politics of representation. Editor: I hadn't considered the politics involved! This really opens my eyes to the power of images in shaping our understanding of place and culture.