Mudejar Doors, Seville 1925

Editor: We're looking at Louis Conrad Rosenberg's 1925 etching, "Mudejar Doors, Seville." It feels like a stage set, all geometric lines and subtle shading. And these dark lines crisscrossing the image – what's that about? What do you make of this print? Curator: Ah, yes! The crisscrossing lines. My first thought is that they're not meant to *cancel* the image out, but actually reveal how meticulously Rosenberg was designing it, a peek into the architectonics, the bones of the composition. Look how the geometry of those lines echoes the decorative patterning around the doorway itself! A fascinating mirroring, no? Perhaps those strong diagonals serve to emphasize the Moorish doorway and accentuate the play of light and shadow. Reminds me of film studies...ever looked at it that way? Editor: Kind of like the "rule of thirds," but more... assertive? It’s an interesting point about the film connection. The depth of field is intense, the pillars seeming more faded the further into the distance they get. Almost dreamlike. Curator: Exactly. Rosenberg, the magician, letting us see the strings, as it were. I find that kind of honesty, in art, incredibly moving. Makes me wonder about all the structures – social, historical, personal – hidden in plain sight around us, doesn't it? Editor: It definitely makes me rethink what I thought I saw at first glance. I really appreciate that reading. Curator: And I yours. I think this doorway is beckoning us to wander into Seville and consider other works and hidden connections!