"Si Imprenabilis Pérouges Des Pérouges" Pérouges, Porte d'en Haut 1919

Editor: Here we have Fernand Combes’ 1919 watercolor, "Si Imprenabilis Pérouges Des Pérouges" or "Pérouges, Porte d'en Haut". It has such a lovely, sun-drenched feel to it, even with the aging stonework. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: What interests me is the very materiality of that stone. Consider the labor involved in quarrying, shaping, and transporting those stones to build the gate and buildings. It speaks to the community’s investment and resources available at the time. What kind of social structure would necessitate and support such permanent architecture? Editor: So you are focusing on the "stuff" of the city as a reflection of the society itself? The physicality of the scene? Curator: Exactly! The rough-hewn texture contrasts with the refined watercolor technique. Note how Combes doesn't idealize the town; he presents it as it is – weathered, imperfect. This wasn't about portraying some romantic ideal of French history, but showing daily life, the result of daily wear and tear. Does the fact it is a watercolour speak to its accessibility of materials? What does that suggest? Editor: Interesting, because initially I just saw pretty colours and light, but you're directing me to consider the economics and the lives embedded in these stones and brushstrokes. The labor that facilitated it. Curator: Precisely! Consider the pigment production. Who made it? Who bought it? Even something as seemingly simple as paint connects to global trade and networks of resource extraction. And remember the date, 1919. The immediate post-war period. The labour would have been significantly different a few years before. Editor: It’s amazing how one image can be interpreted through so many different lenses. It definitely makes you rethink what you initially believed! Curator: And how a painting of this sort, of somewhere described as "impregnable", takes on new resonance given the immediate backdrop of war. There are endless means to interpreting and exploring art's importance, impact, and connection to real people, materials and locations.