Bedlam Furnace, Madeley Dale, Shropshire 1803

Editor: This is Paul Sandby Munn's "Bedlam Furnace, Madeley Dale, Shropshire." The sepia tones create such a strong sense of atmosphere. What do you see in the arrangement of forms within the image? Curator: Munn has created a compelling composition using contrasting masses. Note the solid, geometric forms of the buildings against the fluid, almost chaotic rendering of the smoke and sky. The interplay of light and shadow animates the scene, doesn't it? Editor: It does! The buildings are dark and heavy, anchoring the scene. Curator: Precisely. And consider how the artist manipulates the recession of space. The eye is led from the foreground rubble, past the figures, and into the industrial heart of the scene via tonal gradation. What overall effect does this create? Editor: A sense of depth and maybe, unease? I understand now how the structure reinforces the subject. Thanks for that insight!