Edge of a Wood (Lisiere de bois) 

Curator: Alphonse Legros' "Edge of a Wood," or "Lisiere de bois," rendered through etching, presents a dense, shadowy forest landscape. Editor: It has a melancholic mood, almost oppressive in its darkness. The trees loom, obscuring any easy path into that space. Curator: Considering Legros’ social commentary within his body of work, I see this not just as a landscape, but a reflection on social and environmental barriers, particularly relating to marginalized rural communities denied access to land and resources. Editor: Interesting. To me, the repeating vertical lines of the trees almost act like prison bars. A classic symbol of enclosure. And look at how the lighter areas are almost swallowed up by the black ink. Are we seeing the fading light of progress or opportunity, devoured by greed and societal oppression? Curator: That certainly aligns with interpretations around resource exploitation during industrialization, which had far-reaching environmental impacts but also created wealth disparities along racial and economic divides. Think about enclosure laws and displacement. It speaks to a systematic denial. Editor: Symbolically, forests often carry significant weight. Here it can signify the unconscious, the unknown... and here its imposing quality implies a potential threat. It brings to mind old pagan mythologies, which represent forests as both shelter and danger. It evokes both nostalgia for something wild, as well as something foreboding. Curator: Your points definitely invite further questions about collective memory and the evolving symbolism of natural landscapes within different social and cultural contexts. Thanks, that provides another layer to this. Editor: It seems to hint at layers and levels. Art is full of symbols we all can respond to, so any attempt to link our modern experiences of life with historic ones are helpful, whether one sees environmental threat, social history or lost magic in its etched detail.