Sunlight in Trafalgar Square 1952

Curator: Ceri Richards' "Sunlight in Trafalgar Square," made in 1952, is a vivid print capturing the essence of London's iconic square. Editor: It's… intense. There's a swirling energy, a sense of urban chaos and yet, the birds suggest freedom. Curator: Richards often infused his work with symbolic imagery. The birds, of course, evoke the famous pigeons of Trafalgar Square, but also perhaps a postwar sense of liberation. Editor: The fountain becomes almost organic, a blooming, monstrous plant. Is that figure fleeing from the birds, or embracing them? Curator: It speaks to the public role of Trafalgar Square as a site of both community and contention. Richards captured how social forces can turn a public space into a dynamic, even disorienting experience. Editor: It's a lot to unpack, but Richards certainly distills the square's energy into potent symbols. Curator: Indeed; Richards uses the visual symbols to give us a social commentary.