Gezicht op Clifford's Inn 1903

Curator: Here we have Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs' "Gezicht op Clifford's Inn," created in 1903. Editor: My goodness, there's a kind of haunted tranquility about it, isn’t there? All those carefully etched bricks, each with its story etched in soot and shadow. It’s as if time itself is layered into the very paper. Curator: Griggs was renowned for his masterful technique, deeply rooted in the etching tradition. What is captivating is the density of marks to create contrast. It shows the working and reworking. Editor: I keep coming back to that spire peeking out from the back. The perspective draws you into that deep space almost against your will. What story does the site hold, do you think? Curator: Clifford's Inn was historically associated with legal professions. Griggs created a connection between urban life and institutions via intaglio, transforming mundane subjects into artful depictions. Editor: Law offices—suddenly the aged paper feels appropriate. All those legal documents and ledgers slowly yellowing with age, echoing through time. A reminder of contracts, decisions, and stories embedded into that physical place. Curator: Indeed. Also note the texture. In some of his prints, Griggs used deliberately old, uneven plates which imbued an antique character to the finished prints. The social context here seems embedded within the art and manufacture itself. Editor: Yes. But also it invites a different pace. To slow down, to notice what lasts. In this era of fleeting images, it almost commands us to stop and reflect, doesn’t it? There's a permanence achieved in such fine lines. Curator: Griggs' approach brings us into contact with the urban landscape and makes us consider not just the imagery but the entire history of its making and remaking. Editor: I am now convinced those dark etched lines hold secrets! So much history, so much craft; now I’ll look at buildings differently forevermore.