Anabasis 1957

Editor: This is "Anabasis," a 1957 lithograph by Benton Spruance. It's quite striking, almost dreamlike. The figures on horseback have a spectral quality. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The title, “Anabasis,” refers to Xenophon's historical account of a Greek army's arduous journey. But Spruance's image does not depict a specific historical moment, right? Instead, I see a meditation on themes of exodus and displacement. Consider how the ambiguous landscape – that stark contrast between light and shadow – evokes feelings of uncertainty. How might the stylized figures contribute to this reading? Editor: They do seem to lack individual identity, almost like archetypes. Curator: Precisely. Their simplified forms, combined with the title’s reference to a perilous journey, create a potent visual symbol of shared human experience facing adversity and perhaps alluding to an ongoing journey. Look, for example, at how Spruance repeats the form of the riders across the plane and ask yourself, what might he be wanting to signify? Editor: So, it's not just about a single historical journey, but about the universal journey of humanity, told through the symbolic language of the figures and the landscape. Curator: Indeed. The imagery lingers with echoes of hope amid difficult situations. We can notice similar visual patterns in depictions of many stories about shared history. It is the recognition and continuation that keeps the image alive. Editor: It's fascinating how much meaning can be packed into a seemingly simple image. I definitely see this differently now! Curator: Visual signs and signifiers are always talking.