Dimensions: support: 464 x 591 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: So, here we have Edward Bawden's "Cairo, the Citadel: On the Roof of the Officers’ Mess." It's a watercolor, and the subdued palette gives it a very contemplative mood, almost like a faded memory. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The magic for me lies in how Bawden captures a sense of place with such understated elegance. It’s not just a depiction of Cairo; it’s a whisper of colonial life, seen from an elevated, almost detached, viewpoint. The scaffolding feels like a metaphor for progress, forever under construction. Don't you think? Editor: That's interesting. It makes me wonder what he thought about that progress. Thanks! Curator: Of course! It makes me want to see Cairo, it feels within reach.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bawden-cairo-the-citadel-on-the-roof-of-the-officers-mess-n05678
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Bawden trained as a printmaker, graphic designer and illustrator at the Royal College of Art. These watercolours were made during the Second World War, when Bawden served as an Official War Artist. He spent two years in the Middle East, when he wrote: ‘Work proceeds nicely under the double disadvantages of lack of dense shade and an oven heat, not the mention the infliction of flies... ‘ Gallery label, September 2004
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