Second Family House, Alfred, ME. 1935 - 1942

Editor: This watercolor drawing, "Second Family House, Alfred, ME." by Adelaide Dyball, made between 1935 and 1942, has such a quaint, storybook feel. It's a lovely scene, but the two, almost ghost-like birds feel somewhat surreal and out of place, what symbols might the artist be referencing? Curator: Those birds definitely jump out! Consider how birds have served as messengers in art for centuries; the dove represents peace, a raven ill omens, birds carry significant cultural baggage. But these fowl seem different from expectations. Could they signal something specific about the location or perhaps even a longing for something just out of reach, a past both real and imagined? What else strikes you about the composition? Editor: The houses are quite solid and grounded, compared to the almost transparent, flying birds. Perhaps it represents memories imposed on an otherwise mundane setting. It seems both intimate and remote simultaneously. Curator: Exactly. Are we looking at a realistic representation, or something more psychological? Houses often represent security, family, and identity. What does it signify, do you think, when that is combined with symbols of longing or of what is gone, now a shadow? Think of those red chimneys. Are they anchors or flares, marking the dwellings from afar? Editor: Perhaps both? It's strange but evocative. It also makes me consider that perhaps there is something a little melancholic, slightly unsettling in it. Curator: It makes me consider how Dyball reinterprets common images through uncommon symbolism. And those houses...do they beckon or hold us at a distance? Visual symbolism allows us that constant questioning, constantly adapting the image in relation to who we are. Editor: That’s a helpful insight! I think I'll remember this work differently now. Curator: Likewise. Every viewing enriches the work further.