Buttresses 1907

Curator: Here we have Joseph Pennell’s etching, "Buttresses," created in 1907. It's part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection. What's your immediate take on it? Editor: It strikes me as incredibly imposing, yet delicate. All those lines detailing the architecture—it feels like it’s about to overwhelm the tiny figures below. There’s a real sense of scale and a hushed reverence in the way Pennell renders the scene. Curator: It’s fascinating how Pennell uses etching to capture the grandeur of gothic architecture. This piece emerged during a period of intense urbanization, and anxieties about modernization are palpable in such cityscapes. Do you think that Pennell perhaps felt that the growing metropolis could only thrive under these massive, powerful architectures? Editor: I definitely read a critique there. The figures are dwarfed not only by the scale, but by what the architecture represents – institutional power. Considering the context, maybe Pennell is questioning whose "progress" these monumental structures truly served. Perhaps he’s challenging the relationship between religious institutions and the rapidly changing urban environment? Curator: Exactly. And it makes me consider who was allowed to interpret, even represent, the sacred realm at this time. What does this imagery suggest about the society's perspectives and their sense of being located within this kind of development? The architecture also evokes questions about whose bodies mattered in public spaces like the city streets that flank these imposing buildings? Editor: Right. We need to consider who the intended audience for the artwork was, and what discourses about urban renewal and social order they might have brought to their viewing of it. The "Buttresses" image may celebrate a very masculine display of achievement while overlooking issues of power relations within such monumental landscapes. Curator: Well said. Looking closer, one can also appreciate Pennell’s mastery of line and texture. The light plays off the stone so convincingly. These artistic renderings, however, were equally invested in reinforcing the established structures of representation. The aesthetic choices always reinforce the narrative. Editor: Absolutely. It's a stunning reminder of the layers embedded in every artistic choice and every seemingly objective depiction. Curator: Indeed. "Buttresses" leaves me pondering how artists and institutions reflect and shape cultural values through depictions of built environments and those residing inside. Editor: I agree, a really powerful piece and an equally complex view into art’s multifaceted relations to the history that envelops it.