St. Botolph's, Boston 1924 - 1925

Curator: "St. Botolph's, Boston," an etching by F. L. Griggs, likely produced between 1924 and 1925. The artwork is a beautiful example of the artist’s detailed printmaking style. Editor: My breath caught. Isn't it something? That tower just scrapes the sky—and feels almost precarious, like a sandcastle just before the tide. All those tiny lines… It almost shimmers. Curator: Precisely. Griggs was deeply engaged with the etching process. He exploited line work here, using it not just to depict the architectural realism, but to evoke atmosphere and even, perhaps, comment on social changes happening to these grand old buildings. Editor: Social change in lines of ink? Intriguing. It's hard to look away from that architecture, though. There's something inherently hopeful—aspiring—about reaching such heights, like the Gothic style can only point heavenward. Do you feel a pull towards a particular place within this work, an element which makes it succeed? Curator: It succeeds through labor and economy. See how the dense, almost oppressive details of the cathedral give way to negative space? The stark contrast allows the viewer’s eye a reprieve while also enhancing the grandeur of the church. And of course we can't forget that labor to create these prints has tangible, consumable social effects beyond the creation of something aesthetic. Editor: True. Though as an artist, my attention drifts instead towards that flock of birds, scattered like charcoal smudges in the otherwise clean sky, maybe its that implied freedom. In art you work within self imposed or other restrictions; sometimes an element of freedom is all one wants from any act of expression. What were the print runs for this artist? Was this an accessible work for people? Curator: Griggs' prints were quite popular during his lifetime, but due to scarcity, there's always increased market value associated with pieces like these today. Which inevitably leads back to considering access, and who owns art like this today... Editor: Which always brings us full circle, doesn't it? A beautiful image that spurs complex thought about materiality, hope, ownership.