Cumnor Place (after Whittock) before 1912

Henry Taunt’s photogravure, "Cumnor Place (after Whittock)" captures an old building in shades of gray, like a memory fading into the past. I wonder what it was like for Taunt to frame this shot, adjusting the light, waiting for the moment to capture the texture of the stone and the delicate foliage. Was he thinking about Whittock’s original image? Did he want to create something similar or something completely new? The way the light falls on the building makes it look as though it has stood there for centuries, each stone telling a story. The trees around it seem to be reaching out, as though they're trying to protect the building, to keep its secrets safe. This piece reminds me how artists see through each other, responding to each other’s work across time.