Giant's Causeway 1772

Curator: Welcome. Here we have John Clevely the Younger’s "Giant’s Causeway," a print combining etching, ink, graphite, and chalk on paper, created in 1772. It’s currently held here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: First impression? Wow, that coastline looks like a neatly stacked pile of pencils! Or maybe basalt pastries. Seriously though, the detail is astonishing, yet there is a quiet stillness that speaks to me. Curator: Indeed. Clevely's command of line is central to this piece. Observe how the stark monochrome palette emphasizes the geometric structure inherent within the basalt columns. This reinforces the notion of order amidst the grandeur of the natural world. Editor: Exactly! The Romantic Era loved those sublime vistas, right? Yet the artist gives equal attention to the almost artificial looking geometry and two tiny figures at the upper right, giving the viewer a sense of insignificance. Curator: The artist's placement of these figures adheres to the period’s conventions, employing scale to emphasize humanity's relationship to, or perhaps insignificance within, the greater natural order. Editor: It's interesting to me that Clevely chose to depict this geological wonder in a relatively restrained, almost clinical manner. I mean, compared to, say, a Turner landscape which leans more heavily into the sublime chaos, Clevely is presenting the Causeway almost as an architectural model, if you ask me. Curator: The almost obsessive linework, replicated in both the natural rock formations and in the turbulent waters below, acts to formalize what might otherwise seem too sublime, reducing nature to a series of calculated forms. Editor: Despite Clevely’s controlled and calculated application of media, there's an energy there that feels, you know, really… alive. Curator: Indeed, one might conclude that his representation, in capturing the inherent geometries within the natural world, bridges Romanticism's celebration of nature's grandeur and an enlightenment rationalism focused on structure. Editor: This almost clinical depiction manages to be evocative. Thanks for making me see all of that, formalistically speaking! Curator: The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for contributing such visceral responses to the artist's technique and composition, emphasizing how structure can convey great beauty.