Prayer Flags 1920 - 1930

Editor: This print, titled "Prayer Flags" by Mabel Royds, dates from 1920 to 1930. It's a color woodcut, and what strikes me most is the stillness. Despite depicting flags in what appears to be a windy location, there is an incredible sense of peace. What elements contribute to your understanding of this piece? Curator: A careful consideration of Royds's construction of space proves fruitful. The foreground is established firmly by the detailed rendering of the clifftop and cascading forms of cloth. The background then flattens, reducing mountains to overlapping planes of color. Editor: So the flatness almost gives a sense of detachment from the landscape itself? Curator: Precisely. Royds is experimenting with the compression of pictorial space, allowing the prayer flags to dominate the visual field. Notice also how she uses the grain of the woodcut to delineate form. See how the mountain lines are emphasized. It is further developed at the edge of the precipice with diagonal cuts, increasing tension at this point. What do you make of that? Editor: I see how she has strategically deployed different techniques to lead our eye, to guide how we understand the planes in relation to each other. So the foreground, although static, creates visual interest. Curator: Yes. And it's worth considering that the limited color palette focuses our attention on texture and line. It directs the gaze towards the composition. Editor: This perspective truly emphasizes the deliberate compositional decisions, showing the effect the artist intended through their choices, not necessarily through religious content. Thanks for pointing out those aspects! Curator: It's a privilege to unpack layers of artistic ingenuity, isn’t it? Hopefully, we will have ignited interest to invite others to study Royds.