Castle at Dieppe 1822

Curator: John Sell Cotman created this print, Castle at Dieppe. It resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s rather imposing, isn’t it? The stark contrast gives it a sense of foreboding. Curator: Dieppe's history as a contested site resonates, especially given Anglo-French conflicts of the period. The castle becomes symbolic of power, vulnerability, and the ever-shifting tides of war and control. Editor: The stark verticality of the cliffs echoes the castle's own architecture, creating a visual rhyme. The artist’s choices in composition emphasize the castle's solid, unwavering form, almost like a geometric study. Curator: Considering that Cotman’s career involved a deep engagement with architectural renderings, one cannot help but wonder about the role of such historical sites in shaping national identity and collective memory. Editor: I find the tonal range especially compelling, it oscillates between light and shadow to emphasize the structure of the landscape itself. Curator: It's a stark reminder that landscapes, seemingly natural, are always imbued with socio-political significance. Editor: Quite, a clever interplay of line and mass.