Inner Court 1882

Editor: This is "Inner Court," an 1882 aquatint and etching by Joseph Pennell, housed here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It's fascinating how Pennell captures such detail with these intaglio processes; there's a dreamlike, transient quality, as though it's a fleeting memory of a place. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The print evokes a feeling of enclosure, doesn't it? We're invited to look *through* something, like an archway, but this architectural form frames our perspective. Consider the arch as a symbol, ubiquitous in various cultures – gateways, portals to other realms. How might Pennell be playing with these connotations? What feelings do they invoke? Editor: That's interesting. I guess the arch acts almost like a proscenium arch, drawing us into a stage setting. Is there any significance to what’s being staged here: this inner court with all the lines from architecture converging toward the back? Curator: Indeed. Urban scenes possess layered meanings. Notice how the architectural space is animated by elements. There's almost a push and pull of receding space and our own position as viewers in our own place. It is though, at a moment removed from time. As a viewer of this work now, separated from the time and space in the image, what feelings are communicated to you through that quiet isolation? Editor: It makes me think about the relationship between public and private, maybe? Being in a city, yet hidden, in a personal space. Curator: Precisely! That dance between exposure and concealment. Think of windows – they are eyes to the soul but also openings for the voyeur. Pennell's choice of rendering that balance, the use of shadow... All this speaks to our psychological negotiation of boundaries within shared spaces. What a wealth of considerations that he inspires us to uncover in urban landscapes and beyond! Editor: It is so rich and inspiring to hear the way you teased that all out! Thanks for sharing! Curator: My pleasure! It is rewarding to explore this visual depth, especially together.