The Flight of Stairs 19th-20th century

Curator: Jules de Bruycker, born in 1870, crafted this etching titled "The Flight of Stairs." The work resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It evokes such a feeling of precariousness, doesn't it? That figure tumbling down the staircase is almost comical, yet unsettling. Curator: I think Bruycker uses the etching process to represent the gritty reality of urban life, the material conditions of people struggling against monumental architecture. Editor: And that architecture! Domineering, almost monstrous. The stairs become a symbol of social climbing, or perhaps the pitfalls of such ambition. Curator: Precisely! The labor involved in constructing these buildings, versus the individuals rendered insignificant by them, is palpable. The printmaking itself mirrors the labor of the city. Editor: I see the cultural memory embedded in those arches and spires. It’s both awe-inspiring and oppressive, a visual representation of power structures. Curator: I think it’s a powerful statement about production. Editor: Yes. A striking commentary.