Study for ‘Under Arches, Rue de Seine’: Figures c. 1950s

Curator: This is John Dodgson’s study for ‘Under Arches, Rue de Seine’: Figures, a pencil drawing held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It has an unfinished quality that I really like. The figures have a lovely simplicity. Curator: Dodgson was deeply influenced by his involvement in the Bloomsbury Group and its artistic circles. Editor: I wonder about the women depicted. The sketch seems to imply the dynamics of female relationships, perhaps a mother and child observed in a Parisian street? Curator: It raises interesting questions about the role of women in the city during that era. How public spaces were navigated, controlled, and perceived. Editor: And the gaze, of course, the woman’s confident gaze. Is it defiance, observation, a challenge to our own perspective? Curator: Perhaps it is about framing the everyday lives of women within a broader socio-political landscape. Editor: It offers such a brief glimpse into a moment in time, but resonates with so much more. Curator: Indeed. Dodgson's work provides a lens through which we can re-examine the social context of early 20th century urban life.