Tothill Street Looking towards Westminster Abbey c. 1895

Curator: Constance Mary Pott created this etching, "Tothill Street Looking towards Westminster Abbey." Editor: It's wonderfully evocative. The misty atmosphere almost conceals the details, giving it a dreamlike quality. Curator: Pott was part of a late-19th-century etching revival. Artists looked to capture modern urban life. Editor: And there's a definite class element here; the grandeur of Westminster Abbey looms over the figures on the street, highlighting social stratification. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the role of the Abbey itself, the seat of power and tradition, juxtaposed with daily life in the city. Editor: I find it compelling how the artist uses the etching technique to convey the ephemeral nature of city life. It's both beautiful and critical. Curator: It really encapsulates the visual culture of her time. Editor: Indeed. It challenges us to think about whose stories are told in the art we preserve and celebrate.