Aisle in Santiago Cathedral 

Muirhead Bone made this drawing, Aisle in Santiago Cathedral, using graphite. The soaring arches and shadowed figures evoke the spiritual atmosphere of this sacred space, but we can also see how Bone's image speaks to early twentieth-century debates about the role of religious institutions in modern society. Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the destination for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago since the Middle Ages, was a place of both deep faith and immense power. Bone's sketch captures the visual codes of Catholicism: the dark robes, the towering architecture, the solemn processions. It prompts us to consider how such imagery shaped religious identity and reinforced the Church's authority. What does it mean to represent an institution like the Catholic Church, with its complex history of both spiritual guidance and political influence? Is Bone celebrating faith or critiquing power? To truly understand the drawing’s meaning, we might research the history of the cathedral itself, the social role of pilgrimage in Spanish society, and Bone's own views on religion and modernity. By exploring these resources, we can appreciate how Aisle in Santiago Cathedral reflects not just a place of worship but a nexus of social, cultural, and institutional forces.