The Rivers of England, from "Illustrated London News" 1856

Curator: This is a print entitled "The Rivers of England," taken from the Illustrated London News in 1856, after the fresco by Edward Armitage. It's currently held here at the Metropolitan Museum. Editor: My immediate reaction is that it's… stately, but with an underlying somber tone. The composition, with that central commanding figure, is quite dramatic. There's also something incredibly Victorian about it in the drawing’s heavy use of light and dark. Curator: Indeed. Armitage's original fresco was commissioned for the Upper Waiting Hall of the Houses of Parliament. The representation of rivers was meant to embody England’s industrial and maritime strength. It aimed to create a sense of national pride and reflect Victorian values through its symbolism. Editor: And symbolism abounds, doesn't it? The central, god-like figure must be Father Thames. Note how Armitage uses the surrounding figures – are they personifications of the rivers themselves? And is that a swan resting beside Father Thames? What does that represent? It lends a certain ethereal, perhaps even melancholic, note. Curator: Very astute! The figures symbolize England's major rivers, and that is indeed a swan, a symbol of the Thames. It links back to classical traditions and uses mythology to promote England’s own cultural and political importance on the world stage. Prints like these circulated Armitage's artistic and political message far beyond the Houses of Parliament. Editor: So it's interesting to view it, not only as an aesthetic achievement, but as a kind of propaganda furthering nationalistic rhetoric? The textures achieved through the engraving technique add so much to the characterisation of each figure, it really does become more complex than it at first seems. Curator: Precisely! It highlights the pervasive intersection of art, media, and national identity formation during that period. Editor: A fascinating intersection brought to life through exquisite composition and execution. Curator: A print reflecting artistic mastery and strategic deployment of cultural symbolism.