Peter on the Housetop 1929 - 1980

Curator: Frances Richards' "Peter on the Housetop" presents a kneeling figure in prayer, set against a backdrop of ethereal animals in the sky. Editor: It strikes me as both serene and a little unsettling. The simplicity of the lines gives it an almost dreamlike quality, but the animals hovering above feel… spectral. Curator: Richards often explored religious themes through a lens of personal spirituality, and this print seems to reflect that. Peter, on the rooftop, is a symbol of faith seeking guidance. Editor: Right, and it's interesting how she uses the architectural structure, the building itself, to ground the spiritual vision. Is it a prison? Or a sanctuary? Curator: Perhaps both, reflecting the complex relationship between the earthly and the divine. Editor: I suppose it depends on who's looking at it, and what they're praying for. I like the ambiguity; it allows for a very personal interpretation.