The Guard Gate, Gatun Lock, Panama 1912

Editor: So, this is Joseph Pennell's "The Guard Gate, Gatun Lock, Panama," an etching from 1912. It feels incredibly monumental, almost overwhelming, given its small scale. The stark contrast and angular lines add to the dramatic feel. What symbolic readings do you find here? Curator: The power and energy conveyed through the massive industrial forms speak to me about the symbols of progress and human ambition. Look how Pennell contrasts the figures of workers to the sheer scale of the lock, immediately triggering the archetypal symbol of man against nature. Does the print communicate technological triumph or a loss of scale of human compared to nature? Editor: That's a good point! I was so focused on the grandeur, I missed that subtle contrast between human effort and mechanical immensity. It’s a bit unsettling now that you mention it. Curator: The symbolic potential shifts, doesn't it? Observe the plumes of smoke billowing above - are these the symbolic visual language of potential for human hubris? And consider what this meant for the historical viewer – what might it mean for us, today? Editor: It definitely complicates the reading. There’s something Promethean about the image. But what of those hazy forms in the distance? Curator: Ah, the strategic, formal placement of elements, is significant; here are those subtle echoes of an industrialised, almost mythical landscape of that era. And in these types of construction, is this structure the great potential, a point of division? Editor: I see, the landscape mirrors progress but could also represent barriers, like borders, control and limitations of passage, too. Thanks; that makes it less of a straightforward ode to industrialisation and more of a visual riddle, if you like. Curator: Yes, Pennell encapsulates not only a specific construction, but a host of symbolic interpretations open to the viewer. An icon for modern times.