Cloitre St. Pierre, Avignon 1922

Editor: So, this is "Cloitre St. Pierre, Avignon" by F. L. Griggs, created in 1922. It looks like an etching and pencil drawing. I’m struck by the almost melancholic stillness of the scene, like a stage set waiting for actors. What is your interpretation? Curator: It’s fascinating how Griggs captures this moment. Considering his historical context, we see a powerful evocation of the past. Griggs, working post-World War I, participated in a broader artistic nostalgia, turning to pre-industrial, rural, and medieval scenes. Editor: Nostalgia for a simpler time? Curator: Precisely. There was a profound disillusionment with modernity, industrialization, and the horrors of war. The choice of the cloister, the meticulous rendering of the stonework, and even the bare tree all evoke a sense of permanence and spiritual solace absent in the rapidly changing modern world. Notice how the architecture dominates. How does it speak to you? Editor: I see that the building feels so much bigger, almost dwarfing a viewer. Curator: Right, this reflects a sense of humility before tradition. Buildings, especially religious ones, stood for social authority. His work promoted traditional English and French cultural values amid societal changes, influencing the perception of historical architecture and countryside ideals. Editor: So, beyond just aesthetics, this drawing engages with anxieties about modernity and a yearning for older times? Curator: Exactly. Art often serves as a reflector and constructor of cultural memory and identity. What did you think of the themes? Editor: Thinking about the drawing as an attempt to connect with the past definitely gives it a new dimension for me. I initially viewed it only through its appearance. Curator: Precisely, we can now think of how it impacts the collective psyche of British Society as the population struggles through the after effects of the first world war.