Saint Bartholemew's Church 1956

Editor: We’re looking at Jiří Balcar's "Saint Bartholomew's Church," an etching and graphite print from 1956. I’m immediately struck by its somewhat somber and dense atmosphere, almost as if the building is brooding. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, I think "brooding" is the perfect word. It's like the church is whispering secrets. Notice how Balcar uses the etching technique - it creates a real feeling of texture, like you can feel the stone and the age of the building. Do you get a sense of the period it was created in? Editor: It definitely feels like it was made post-war... Maybe it's the greyscale and the rather brutal depiction of the building? The style is labeled "realism" but that might be used in a rather broad manner, don't you think? Curator: Oh, absolutely. Balcar wasn't interested in pure photographic realism. It’s more about emotional realism, conveying the mood and the weight of history that a place like this carries, especially in that time period. I can almost smell the coal smoke and feel the grit on the wind... do you get that too? Editor: Yes, I agree. The image has this strange feeling of nostalgia that gets across because of its imperfections. All these very imperfect, hand-made lines! I can see how art offers us ways to engage with history differently. Curator: Precisely! And the beautiful thing is, everyone brings their own experiences and feelings to a piece. That's the magic of art.