Olympus (New York) 1929

Editor: This is "Olympus (New York)" by Gerald Geerlings, made in 1929 using etching. I find the texture captivating, like a pencil sketch come to life, though somewhat gloomy in tone. How would you unpack the formal qualities of this cityscape? Curator: Indeed. Notice the pronounced verticality and sharp angles, characteristic of many cityscapes but here exaggerated. Geerlings utilizes strong contrasts in light and shadow. Observe the structural composition; the heavy foreground scaffolding acts as a frame. How does that affect your reading? Editor: It feels almost intrusive, adding to the sense of scale, like we're right there in the middle of construction, looking up in awe. What do you think about the varying tones in this print? Curator: The artist’s skillful use of light and dark creates a sense of depth and volume. It leads the eye, doesn’t it? Light emphasizes certain architectural features, creating a staccato rhythm. Do you observe that pattern echoed in the composition as a whole? Editor: Yes, the repetition in the building’s form, the windows and set backs, seems to create a visual parallel. So it seems to be more than a gloomy city rendering but rather it’s playing with light, lines, forms and how our eye moves within the space. Curator: Precisely! It’s a formal interplay. And, for me, this focus renders the city not as place, but as idea. Editor: Thanks so much for clarifying the visual rhetoric being employed here!