Palace Court
1933
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching in black on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 25.56 × 17.94 cm (10 1/16 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.113
Art Historical Context
**Palace Court** (1933) by F.L. Griggs invites visitors into a dreamlike vision of architectural grandeur. Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs, a master etcher of the early 20th century, in intricate, imaginary Gothic structures that blend medieval fantasy with meticulous realism. This work, depicting an evocative palace courtyard, exemplifies his romantic nostalgia for a bygone era of ecclesiastical and palatial splendor, created during the interwar period when such visions offered escape amid modern upheavals. Rendered as a black etching on laid paper—a traditional medium prized for its subtle t...
About the Artist
F.L. Griggs
Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs (1876–1938), known professionally as F.L. Griggs, was a British etcher and illustrator whose haunting architectural prints rank among the finest achievements in the revival of etching as a fine art medium during the early twentieth century. Born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Griggs was largely self-taught as a printmaker, developing his mastery of the etching needle thr...