An Effect of the Bombardment 1870 - 1871

Curator: Maxime Lalanne's etching, "An Effect of the Bombardment," created around 1870, captures a moment of stark desolation. Editor: My first thought? Haunting. The building, or what's left of it, looks like it’s exhaling its last breath. Curator: Indeed. This work was likely created after the Franco-Prussian War, a period of intense political upheaval and violence. You can see how the ruins become a symbol for that destruction. Editor: Absolutely. It’s the silence that gets me. You almost hear the echoes of the blast reverberating through the skeleton of that building, and see the lone figure as a sort of witness. Curator: I agree, and I think Lalanne used etching techniques to great effect. It’s almost like the image itself is crumbling before our eyes. Editor: Well, it certainly leaves you contemplating the cost of conflict, doesn't it? Makes you wonder what stories those walls could tell.