Bridge of St. Martin - Toledo 1914

This is "Bridge of St. Martin - Toledo" by James Craig Annan, made using photogravure. I can really imagine Annan fiddling around in the darkroom to get the exact tones that he wanted in this picture. It seems like he really wanted to capture a sense of place and time here - a bit like those history painters did back in the day. The texture almost looks like it's been scratched and worn, like an old fresco. It's kind of cool how the surface almost has a gritty feel to it; it makes you wanna reach out and touch it. Annan might have been trying to capture the old city as a living, breathing thing. I wonder what he thought about the people and animals in the foreground? Did he see himself as just recording what was there? You know, thinking about it, artists are always having a conversation with each other across time. They borrow stuff, respond to each other, and push things further. It's an ongoing exchange that keeps art alive. And just like in painting, there are always different ways to interpret a work. No one reading is ever the definitive way, which is pretty great, right?