Fetges 1927

Curator: Look at this fascinating watercolor and ink painting. It's called "Fetges," and Charles Rennie Mackintosh completed it in 1927. What's your initial take on it? Editor: It feels incredibly... grounded. The perspective is high, but there’s this wonderful sense of density and weight to the buildings, as if they've grown directly from the landscape. Curator: That’s interesting. Mackintosh often moved between architectural design and painting. Here he depicts a village scene, perhaps reflecting his architectural eye for form and structure, but with a looser, almost naive style. Consider how the built environment intersects with its agricultural context. Editor: Absolutely. It's more than just observation; there’s an interpretation happening. He simplifies forms into these sharp, almost geometric shapes, yet the color palette keeps it soft. It's an odd mix that somehow works, suggesting the people living and working here were very integrated with the earth that sustained them. Do you see any particular political statements that come out of his choice? Curator: Potentially. In the post-war period, there was a growing interest in depicting scenes of rural life, partly in response to industrialisation and the rapidly changing social landscape. Mackintosh maybe idealizes a sense of community here, and I am seeing his interpretation of how human space changes its surrounding, in opposition to previous beliefs where humanity was dominated by landscape. Editor: You're right, there's a sense of timelessness despite its modernity, or what was understood as modern for its time. The light is beautiful as well, evenly distributed as to provide an insight into the common working day in the settlement, a "productive day". The buildings become sculptural forms caught in the soft sunlight. Did he exhibit paintings like this publicly? Curator: Yes, but his success was more prominent as an architect. Paintings like "Fetges" give insight into his personal vision, particularly during a period when his architectural commissions had declined. So perhaps, these types of watercolor representations of landscape become political simply as the form for the author's continued expression, that eventually outlived himself. Editor: Perhaps we can see "Fetges" not just as a depiction of a village but as a personal statement. Something intimate that's deeply connected to Mackintosh. I'm taking that to heart for the remainder of our exhibits, thank you. Curator: Yes, this piece serves as an exploration of a relationship between place, form, and self. The art is more like the expression of humanity towards land, more than land's relation with humanity. Thank you for this great observation.