Dimensions: image: 133 x 95 mm
Copyright: © The estate of James Boswell | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: James Boswell, born in 1906, created this etching, titled "The Fall of London: Looters". What strikes you first about it? Editor: That crushing darkness. It feels like staring down the barrel of something awful. The sharp contrast suggests not just night but a moral collapse. Curator: The lack of a precise date leaves the historical context open. Was it wartime, or is Boswell commenting on societal decay more broadly? Editor: It's interesting how the looters are almost swallowed by the shadows. Are they victims, opportunistic, or just symbols of broader chaos? The composition is so claustrophobic. Curator: Exactly. Boswell uses the medium to its full potential, doesn't he? The scratchy lines, that oppressive dark... Editor: There's a despair that lingers, a sense that this isn't just about a moment in time, but a deeper commentary on human nature. Curator: It's a haunting piece, and the questions it raises feel unnervingly relevant still. Editor: Absolutely, a reminder that darkness, both literal and figurative, is always lurking just around the corner.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/boswell-the-fall-of-london-looters-p11661
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Looters is one of eight small lithographs Boswell made in 1933 describing The Fall of London. Ron Heisler believes that they were originally conceived for a book by Frank McIlraith and Roy Connolly called Invasion From The Air which describes a Fascist invasion of England (information from Ron Heisler, August 2003). The theme of the book, which was published in 1934, is reminiscent of Boswell’s prints, which illustrate popular uprisings in the City of London and horrific scenes of the city in ruins. In the top left of the image a man sits on the edge of a devastated building, armed with a rifle. Beneath him two men carry away on their shoulders what is presumably the ‘loot’ referred to the in the title. In the middle ground two men stand outside a tailor’s shop, near to a canon which indicates the uprising about to follow.
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