Design for a Vestibule for A. C. Grant, Priory Grove, Perspective 1800 - 1900

Curator: This intriguing drawing is entitled "Design for a Vestibule for A. C. Grant, Priory Grove, Perspective," believed to be created sometime between 1800 and 1900 by an anonymous artist. It's a study in pencil on paper, offering a glimpse into architectural design. What strikes you about it initially? Editor: The drawing feels incredibly sparse, almost skeletal. It's like the blueprint of a feeling, more than a space. The bareness emphasises the craftsmanship required for detailed ornamentation. Curator: Precisely! Let’s consider the interplay of lines and perspective here. Notice how the architect employs orthogonals and vanishing points to create a believable sense of depth. It masterfully displays spatial organization—creating harmony by mirroring different angles and architectural motifs throughout the vestibule's construction. Editor: Yes, but I am also struck by what is not shown: where were the materials sourced for A.C. Grant’s grand design, and who are the unknown hands who physically produced such exquisite interiors. I wonder how many trees fell, how many laborers were involved in the project for it even exist? Curator: While those socioeconomic factors would have inevitably played a role in its existence, can we return to what's manifestly visible within the framework of the drawing itself? How it manipulates the viewer’s gaze, guiding it upwards towards the elaborate ceiling rose and the delicate hanging lantern? There is the skillful geometric composition here with the recurring circles. Editor: Yet all elements of that design are fundamentally predicated upon extracted resources and exploited labour. Consider how its classical form relates back through human labour to its constituent materiality of pigment and support? Each line representing more than just pure form. Curator: Perhaps… although dwelling exclusively on resource extraction and the plight of exploited laborers limits an appreciation for form and expression. However, it cannot be denied that this pencil study offers a window into the aesthetics and cultural values during its historical milieu. Editor: Fair enough; let's just hope that someone, somewhere, is looking into A.C. Grant’s project and what resources and labour they commissioned, too. Curator: An appropriate hope. I leave with greater appreciation for this intriguing, yet anonymous, spatial drawing.