View of the Donjon of Chateau Gaillard, near Andelys, Normandy c. 1822

Editor: This pencil drawing is "View of the Donjon of Chateau Gaillard, near Andelys, Normandy," created around 1822 by John Sell Cotman. The starkness of the lines gives it an almost haunting feel. What do you see in this depiction of the ruined castle? Curator: The ruin itself is heavy with symbolism, isn't it? Consider what a castle, especially its keep, or "donjon," represents: strength, authority, permanence. Now see it fractured, exposed, returning to the earth. Cotman offers a potent meditation on the fleeting nature of power. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just a picture of a ruined castle, but a symbolic representation of something bigger? Curator: Precisely. Think about the Romantic era – a time fascinated by the past, by ruins, and by the overwhelming power of nature. Ruins became symbols of mortality, of the inevitable decay of even the grandest human achievements. Consider, too, the almost ghostly quality of the light here. What feelings does it evoke? Editor: It definitely contributes to the feeling of transience. Everything seems… ephemeral. It makes me think about time and change. Curator: Yes, time becomes tangible in its absence. Notice how Cotman uses light and shadow to define form, but also to suggest a deeper sense of absence, a fading memory. What does that suggest about how we remember history, how collective memory works? Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered all of that. It makes me look at the drawing in a completely new way. I appreciate you bringing the symbolic elements of ruin and the importance of decay. Curator: And you pointed out the haunting qualities first – so the image spoke to you directly, before any analysis.