Gate of the Metwaleys [Bab Zuwayla], Cairo. 1846 - 1849

Curator: Here we have David Roberts' watercolor from around 1846 to 1849, "Gate of the Metwaleys [Bab Zuwayla], Cairo." What springs to mind for you? Editor: Immediately, I see patterns. The repetitive horizontals of the stonework draw my eye upwards to the bustling rooftop—it's all crafted so meticulously. It makes you consider the physical effort, the manual labor needed to make something this grand, this...monumental. Curator: It’s incredible isn’t it? Almost dreamlike in its precise details yet softened with the haze of memory or imagination. I’m especially drawn to the way Roberts captures the light. It feels so distinctly Egyptian, a blend of stark brightness and subtle shadows that gives everything a kind of glow. The Gate isn't just stone; it’s alive, breathing with history. Editor: Absolutely, the light really hits differently here. It is worth also thinking about the layers upon layers of hands that were needed. I mean, consider all of the people quarrying the stone, cutting it, laying it— the people who then maintain its function for centuries, and the individuals rendered here going about their day; David Robert’s is almost celebrating how so many bodies intersect. Curator: It's also got such a striking contrast in architectural textures, from the smooth banded walls to the more haphazardly constructed buildings surrounding the square; almost creating a visual tension, I'd say. Roberts wasn't just documenting the building itself, was he? He was hinting at the daily life flowing through and around it. And this also points to something deeper for me - something about impermanence against permanence... the ephemeral versus the eternal, if you will. Editor: Well, the inclusion of the people also highlights the gate's function—a transit point facilitating trade, social exchanges... But considering Roberts as a European Orientalist traveling through Egypt at the time— it's interesting to see the image operating as a historical record that also reflects certain colonial perspectives of production and what type of labor is assigned "value." It really is compelling stuff. Curator: A work of art holding many doors open for those interested in stepping through. Editor: I'll say! From stonemasonry to artistry to societal dynamics— it's all here, if we care to look.