Daken en schoorstenen in Middelburg 1915

Editor: This is C.H. d'Huy's woodcut, "Daken en schoorstenen in Middelburg," from 1915. There's a captivating gloominess to the piece. The sharp lines and the imposing chimney against the swirling sky are striking. What do you see in this piece that maybe I’m missing? Curator: The chimney dominates the skyline. Given the context of 1915, what might the looming industrial structure represent against a backdrop of traditional architecture? How does it embody the shifting social landscape? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it in terms of industrialization. It just seemed like part of the composition. Curator: D'Huy isn't just presenting a pretty cityscape. It's also subtly commenting on the era's transformation. This was a time of rapid industrial growth, just prior to the advent of WWI. These chimneys changed city skylines forever. How did the artist's embrace of art nouveau inform her expression? Editor: Well, you see the influence in the stylized clouds, right? And the simplification of forms throughout the print. There's also something… uneasy… about how the organic and industrial elements are placed together. Curator: Precisely. It suggests an anxiety surrounding the dominance of industry and a kind of disruption in traditional living. It asks us to reflect on the relationship between the environment and the rapid progress. What does it suggest to you? Editor: It makes me wonder what it must have been like to live there during that time. To experience that visual tension every day, with these chimneys looming. Thank you for that context. I see so much more in this now. Curator: And I appreciate you identifying its unease so quickly; that's often an overlooked but incredibly important way to interpret visual culture!