Dimensions: support: 508 x 638 mm
Copyright: © Tate | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: David Bomberg’s charcoal drawing, “St Paul’s and River,” captures a hazy silhouette of the city. It's quite moody, almost ominous. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The fragmented forms suggest a city not just seen, but remembered, perhaps even traumatized by war. The cathedral looms, a symbol of resilience, yet rendered here with uncertain lines. Does it feel like a celebration or a warning? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. The stark contrast makes the cathedral appear more like a ghost than a monument. Curator: Exactly. Consider how Bomberg uses light and shadow to evoke a sense of collective memory, a cultural weight. It asks us to confront not just what we see, but what we carry within us. Editor: It's unsettling how much history can be packed into a seemingly simple sketch.
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bomberg-st-pauls-and-river-t01964
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
This shows the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, seen from the west with the River Thames on the right. Bomberg made many drawings of St Paul’s during the Second World War, when it survived the Blitz and became a symbol of Britain’s resilience. He made further drawings shortly after the war for a ‘panorama of London’ that was never realised. The definition of form by the use of strong structural charcoal lines is typical. Equally characteristic is the contrast between these vigorous lines and the soft smoky shading, for example in the sky. Gallery label, September 2004
CollectMore like this
