Gallery Edition – No more of those hideous monuments! by Bernhard Gillam – 67×44 Interior Architectural Study

Curatorial Narrative In the midst of the Victorian era’s grandeur, Bernhard Gillam’s “No more of those hideous monuments!” (1885) stands as a scathing critique of the architectural excesses of its time. This political cartoon, executed with meticulous linear brushwork, presents a visual diatribe against the Gothic Revival style that dominated the urban landscape. The palette, a deliberate choice of muted greens, blues, and browns, conjures an atmosphere of restraint, as if to counterbalance the ostentation it depicts. By situating his work within the context of Victorian design styles, Gillam masterfully subverts the ornate language of Gothic Revival, instead emphasizing the claustrophobic, labyrinthine qualities that underpinned its aesthetic.When enlarged to 67×44 inches, the chromatic structure of “No more of those hideous monuments!” assumes a spatial rhythm that commands attention. The deep blues and greens, now more pronounced