Tetuan: view from the gate c. 20th century

Curator: This is James McBey's "Tetuan: view from the gate," an etching whose date remains unspecified but created by an artist born in 1883 and who died in 1959. Editor: I find it immediately striking—the skeletal forms of the architecture give it a somber, almost spectral quality. Curator: Indeed. Notice how the archway functions as a framing device, leading the eye to the landscape beyond, while the precise linework captures the texture of the aged stone. Editor: The gate itself is heavy with symbolic weight, acting as a portal, both physically and metaphorically, between the known and the unknown—a visual echo of cultural boundaries. Curator: The artist’s calculated use of negative space is equally compelling; the emptiness within the arch contrasts starkly with the dense etching surrounding it. Editor: A study in contrasts overall, a tension between decay and enduring cultural presence. Curator: Precisely. McBey’s composition creates a space for contemplation, inviting us to consider the passage of time and the resilience of place. Editor: A poignant testament to the silent stories architecture holds.