Palace Court 1933

This etching by F. L. Griggs, called Palace Court, feels like a memory trying to solidify itself into something real. I can imagine Griggs bent over the plate, his hand moving with such precision to create these tiny marks that build into something immense and solid, like the facade of this building. The whole scene is rendered in infinite detail and intricate lines, yet the overall effect is soft and hazy. He’s working in monochrome, so texture becomes everything—the rough surfaces of the stones against the smoothness of the sky. I wonder if he imagined himself in the courtyard, walking amongst those figures? Did he want to monumentalize the history that has taken place within those walls? I bet he looked at Durer, as he built up this image line by line. Artists are always looking at each other, even across centuries, trying to figure out this crazy thing called art. Like a conversation that never really ends, always taking new forms.