Sluis bij Dedham 1913 - 1918

Editor: So, here we have "Sluis bij Dedham", or "Lock at Dedham", a pencil and ink drawing done by Alexander Shilling between 1913 and 1918. The rough quality and the use of line make it feel very immediate and intimate. What captures your attention most when you look at this piece? Curator: It's funny you say "intimate." It’s precisely that sketchbook feel that hooks me! Knowing this comes from a personal sketchbook makes me feel almost like I’m looking over Shilling’s shoulder. He’s rapidly capturing a moment in time—that watery light, the heft of the lock structure. Editor: It does have that "fleeting moment" kind of feeling, like Shilling wanted to remember this particular view and feeling about this lock. It also feels quite utilitarian. Did the early 20th century find beauty in functional structures in a new way, perhaps? Curator: Oh, definitely! Think of the Eiffel Tower – initially reviled, then celebrated for its…nakedness! This sketch…it almost feels like Shilling's making a record of industry meeting nature. The way he contrasts the precise lines of the architecture with the almost scribbled landscape hints at a fascinating dialogue. What do you think about that dense hatching he uses for the foliage? Editor: It’s almost frenetic! But it makes the trees or bushes vibrate with energy, like they’re almost buzzing. The building is static, man-made and the foliage alive. I hadn't considered it that way, but now it feels quite symbolic! Curator: Exactly! And, given the dates, hovering around the start of the First World War… one might even be tempted to find reflections of that unease in this frenetic energy, like capturing the calm before some huge change or a personal sense of premonition... I might be projecting there, of course. Editor: That’s a fascinating thought! It certainly adds another layer of interpretation, given the time frame. I think I appreciate the sketch more now, considering the contrasting energies and that tension you pointed out.