The Trevi Fountain, Rome 1913 - 1928

Editor: So this is Muirhead Bone's etching, "The Trevi Fountain, Rome," created sometime between 1913 and 1928. The busyness of the scene really strikes me; it feels so different from how we usually see the fountain in photos. What's your take on it? Curator: The layering is intense. Bone captures Rome not just as a static cityscape but as a palimpsest of time, a place where ancient grandeur and everyday life are constantly negotiating space. Look at how the scaffolding mirrors the classical architecture; they coexist within the same visual plane. Editor: That's an interesting point! I hadn’t considered the scaffolding. What could that imply? Curator: The scaffolding speaks to constant change, to Rome’s eternal state of becoming. Bone acknowledges a continuity, where the echoes of the past aren’t simply relics but are constantly being reinterpreted. Consider the fountain itself - it’s not merely water and stone but also the symbolic representation of abundance, power, and perhaps even a longing for return, reinforced by the figures tossing coins. Editor: It's almost as if Bone is trying to say something about the spirit of the place… Curator: Precisely! The people, the ox-drawn carts… they animate the symbols, bridging the gap between monument and lived experience. What feelings do those layers and symbols evoke in you? Editor: A sense of being immersed, I suppose. Almost like you are there, amidst the everyday hustle right next to a powerful symbol. Curator: Indeed. Bone is really effective at using mundane imagery to ground these cultural artifacts into a palpable reality. It definitely prompts me to think about how urban environments embody shared memory. Editor: I hadn’t thought about cityscapes in quite that way. This makes me want to walk around Rome for a week. Curator: A week might not be enough.