Hospital Dining Room 1916

Editor: Walter Gramatté's "Hospital Dining Room," made in 1916, is a small, stark ink drawing. The composition feels so immediate, almost like a quick sketch. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s a gut punch, isn’t it? Those heavy, almost frantic lines—they speak to a real emotional weight, I think. It reminds me of a stage set, slightly off, heightening the sense of drama. Given the date, 1916, what do you imagine that dining room might have felt like? Editor: A place of anxiety, maybe? The lack of detail adds to the unsettling feeling. Curator: Exactly! It's less about the room and more about the mood, the unspoken anxieties. Gramatté captures that so brilliantly. I wonder if this drawing can express things that words fail to capture. Editor: That's a powerful thought. I won't look at quick sketches the same way again.