Untitled n.d.

Curator: This "Untitled" print, whose creator is Matthew White Ridley and is housed here at the Art Institute of Chicago, invites contemplation of maritime industry. Crafted using etching on paper, it captures a landscape filled with docked ships. Editor: It’s got this hazy, dreamlike quality to it, even though it's quite detailed. A melancholy sort of scene. Makes me wonder what stories these ships could tell, coming into port. Curator: The artist, working in an era deeply entwined with transatlantic trade, might be exploring the consequences of this landscape on global economies. It brings to mind feminist critiques of labor—the docks themselves became potent sites for female emancipation through their participation in striking, working in groups, or establishing strongholds to aid in smuggling contraband to disrupt political-economic orders, so even the water lapping at the piers symbolizes hidden agency and defiance. Editor: That’s fascinating, framing it that way. For me, it evokes a feeling of journeys, arrivals and departures. Looking at the ships jammed together like that… feels crowded, maybe even oppressive, but also teeming with human drama. Ridley definitely captured a certain feeling with those scratchy lines. I find it raw. Curator: Those "scratchy lines", as you call them, do lend an important grit. There's a lot to unpack concerning the social structures at play. This harbor could have been central in enforcing class divides; with sailors risking their lives only to enrich powerful trade organizations. Editor: That’s true, there is that angle as well. I just think it’s a simple yet impactful visual. Something about the tonal range... I love how he suggests atmosphere with such limited means. He makes the viewer’s imagination fill in the blanks. Curator: Absolutely. Ridley presents not just a pretty harbor, but an implicit interrogation of labor, the politics of the water, the impact of trade. These etchings give a certain insight into that time, providing ways of interpreting societal concerns with a wider, more inclusive critical lens. Editor: I am coming away with a real sense of something so huge, represented so intimately on a page… gives a lot to ponder. Curator: Exactly. This little print really shows the bigger implications.