Trees near Twickenham 

Editor: This is John Sell Cotman's "Trees near Twickenham," an etching. It feels very grounded, and the trees seem to huddle together. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a commentary on land use and ownership during Cotman's time. The trees, though beautiful, are also resources. Twickenham was becoming increasingly suburban; does this image romanticize or critique that shift? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't considered the social implications. It's more complex than I initially thought. Curator: Right. Landscape art isn't just about pretty scenes; it's often entangled with power, access, and control over the natural world. Considering that really deepens our understanding.