Entrance to Dover Castle 18th-19th century

Curator: Here we have Thomas Rowlandson's "Entrance to Dover Castle," a pen and ink wash drawing in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels haunted, almost melancholy. The monochrome palette and crumbling architecture evoke a sense of faded glory. Curator: Rowlandson often used such imagery to subtly critique the romanticization of Britain’s past, especially during times of political unrest. Castles like Dover represented power, but here, that power is clearly eroding. Editor: That archway, though, framed by the jagged stone—it's a classic symbol of transition, isn’t it? A gateway to another time, another state of being. The whole image is structured to lead your eye into that shadowed space. Curator: Exactly, and note how he uses the wash to create depth and shadow, emphasizing the castle's imposing presence even in its state of decay. It speaks to the enduring nature of institutions, even as they change. Editor: There’s a powerful duality here – resilience and ruin coexisting. Curator: Indeed. Rowlandson invites us to contemplate the layered meanings embedded within these iconic structures.