Study for ‘Church at Tréboul’ c. 1929 - 1930

Curator: This is Christopher Wood's "Study for 'Church at Tréboul'," a sketch held at the Tate. It provides a glimpse into Wood's artistic process. Editor: It feels so immediate, raw even. The stark lines give the church a somewhat imposing presence, even within its setting. Curator: Wood’s time in Brittany deeply impacted his style. We see an engagement with place, a desire to capture something essential about the region. Editor: Essential, perhaps, but also a little unsettling. Churches, historically, wielded significant power; I wonder what he thought about that? Curator: It’s intriguing to consider the church, not just as a structure, but as a symbol of societal control within Wood’s milieu. Editor: Right. It makes me think of the ongoing tensions between religious institutions and the communities they serve, especially in contested spaces. Curator: Reflecting on Wood's sketch, it serves as a reminder of the artist's eye, as well as the enduring legacy of religious architecture in our cultural consciousness. Editor: Absolutely, seeing it through a critical lens, makes it far more than a simple church study.