Tournay 1833

Curator: What strikes me immediately about this print is the imposing, almost haunting presence of the architecture. There’s a definite weight to it, both physical and historical. Editor: That's an astute observation. This is "Tournay," a lithograph created in 1833 by Samuel Prout, rendering a cityscape scene in ink on paper. Prout was drawn to the picturesque, particularly medieval architecture, and often focused on scenes that spoke of the past. What connections do you see to contemporary culture? Curator: Well, thinking about the symbols, churches and cathedrals always signify more than just religious faith. Here, they function almost as expressions of civic power and historical dominance. I’m thinking about how access to public space differs according to class and even how history itself gets memorialized… who is remembered, whose stories are told? The buildings are still standing. Who were the builders, who was worshiped? Editor: Precisely. Note the geometry present; see how those architectural shapes rise upwards with a hopeful suggestion? In the context of the 1830s, this fascination with the medieval resonates with a romanticized view of the past. I think the deliberate, repetitive upward movement serves as a psychological attempt to ground a sense of community identity in the past. Consider the clothing of the figures… Curator: They’re so tiny, almost lost amid the overwhelming architectural landscape. They’re also interesting in terms of gender. Are there gendered ways of accessing public space even evident in this image, with the way groupings are separated and dressed? Prout is composing a visual record not only of buildings, but social hierarchies too, intentionally or not. Editor: That social dynamic reminds me of period costume dramas; I recognize its appeal even now! Prout's ability to capture texture and light with such delicate lines also really draws me in; each stone seems to tell its own story, a story that repeats down the road! What lasting impression does this print leave with you? Curator: A reminder that built environments are never neutral. They're palimpsests of power, belief, and social structure and how that echoes even in urban planning today! Editor: For me, it reinforces the lasting resonance of symbols. Cathedrals such as this remain potent reminders of our intertwined history of religion, history, and artistic innovation that will likely never loosen its powerful pull.