Greenwich Hospital c. 19th century

Editor: This is Edward Goodall's "Greenwich Hospital," an etching held at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels almost like a memory, faded and distant. What do you see in it? Curator: The towers, recurring motifs in countless cityscapes, act as symbols of stability, order, and even aspiration. But here, the softness of the etching, the misty rendering, diminishes that sense, creating instead a melancholic reflection on the past. What do you make of the boats? Editor: They suggest a constant flow, a transient state of being. Curator: Precisely. The hospital itself, meant as a place of refuge, contrasts with the restless water. The image, thus, balances permanence and change, perhaps echoing the lives of those who sought shelter there. Editor: That adds a whole new layer to my understanding. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, symbols are never static, but their power resides in their ability to evoke layered meanings.