Planches de Salut 1931

Curator: Immediately, it gives me this sense of almost being trapped. Or, like, at a crossroads that's both inviting and ominous. Is that just me? Editor: No, not at all. The mood is definitely complex. What we're looking at is "Planches de Salut," an etching by Louis Marcoussis, made in 1931. And the title, translated, means "Plans of Salvation" or "Safety Planks." Curator: Plans of Salvation…so there's a doorway, stairs leading up, right? And everything is rendered in these really precise, almost mathematical lines. It reminds me a bit of Piranesi, all those Escher-esque spaces. What does "salvation" even look like here? Editor: I think that ambiguity is intentional. Marcoussis, though associated with Cubism, incorporates architectural elements here that certainly speak to the broader societal anxieties of the interwar period. The staircase, that could be ascension, but also escape… Curator: Escape from what, though? Look at the hatching—that obsessive darkness around the figure near the doorway and framing the staircase, is like encroaching doom. This figure seems like it's trapped in shadow. It could either find salvation by stepping away, through the door, or by proceeding into this inky stairway…Or maybe its trapped as a result of a previous choice! Gosh this work is loaded with questions! Editor: And isn’t that figure’s stoic isolation also a reflection of the existential themes prevalent in literature and art then? Remember this is just a few years removed from The Great Depression. Maybe salvation isn’t an individual climb, but a collective one. Curator: Yes, and look at how stark the door and stairwell feel when juxtaposed against the obsessive pattern surrounding this isolated figure and room! A lot to digest...almost unnerving that the way to salvation feels so alien and removed! Editor: This print is fascinating because of those layered readings it invites. Beyond just formal considerations of line and space, Marcoussis captures something profoundly human about seeking a way forward in uncertain times. Curator: It’s definitely unsettling. Almost too austere to give one a clear read. More than ever, I'm eager to spend a few extra minutes with this one. Thanks for walking me through!