Cloister, San Culgat, near Barcelona 

Muirhead Bone created this drawing of the Cloister of San Culgat near Barcelona using graphite and wash on paper. The image, typical of Bone's style, centres on architectural subjects. Bone depicts the monastery in a way that emphasizes its monumentality, yet softened by the surrounding foliage, creating an interesting contrast between the man-made structure and the natural environment. San Culgat, with its layers of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture, serves as a microcosm of Catalan history and culture. The art historical understanding of the work benefits from archival materials, architectural surveys, and historical documents that allow us to consider the artist's interest in the site. Through a deep consideration of the visual and textual material associated with the work we can understand its place in a long history of cultural production.