Victorian Carriage House c. 20th century

Editor: This is "Victorian Carriage House" by Lawrence E. Kupferman, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It has such an eerie feeling. What do you make of the composition? Curator: Note the architectural details. The heavy emphasis on line and texture to create a sense of decay and perhaps even instability. Kupferman uses hatching to establish the chiaroscuro. How does this treatment affect your reading of the subject? Editor: It emphasizes the darkness and dilapidation, which contributes to the feeling of unease. I see how the formal elements really shape my interpretation. Curator: Precisely. The very structure of the image supports the emotional impact. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. Thanks! Curator: A pleasure. Always look closely at the formal elements.