The Catholic Church, Addis Ababa 1941

Curator: This is Edward Bawden's "The Catholic Church, Addis Ababa," held in the Tate Collections. The support measures 457 by 578 mm. Editor: Stark, almost unsettling. The muted palette emphasizes the weight of the architecture against a turbulent sky. Curator: Indeed, Bawden's process here, likely watercolor and ink, captures not just form but the atmosphere of colonial encounter. Note how the figures are rendered in relation to the church. Editor: The stark geometry of the church contrasts with the fluid lines of the figures—a formal dance between power and the everyday. Curator: Precisely, it speaks to the church as an imposing structure, influencing the social fabric and perhaps Bawden's own experiences there. Editor: It leaves me with a sense of the sublime—a beautiful yet overwhelming structure.