London Bridge Stairs 1903

Curator: Here we have Joseph Pennell's "London Bridge Stairs," a print held by the Harvard Art Museums. The sepia tones give it a rather melancholic air, don't you think? Editor: Indeed, a somber beauty. I'm immediately drawn to the etchwork itself. You can almost feel the artist's hand and the pressure he applied to the plate. What about the labor to create it? Curator: The bridge looms large in the background, almost like a medieval fortress, speaking to the city's resilience through time. Note the figures working, they may represent the constant construction and destruction of the city. Editor: It’s a commentary on urban development as a kind of cyclical process. The bridge itself becomes a monument to labor and exchange. Is it possible that he wanted to use it as a reminder of the fragility of the city itself? Curator: Perhaps. Ultimately, both the city and its symbols endure, regardless of the efforts that go into them. Editor: A potent combination of material exploration and symbolic weight.