The Clock
What is it about clock towers that draws the eye? No matter how much detail exists in the rest of the tower, the clock lures you in. In this painting of Manchester Town Hall, the timepiece is no exception.
Clocks like this were designed to be impressive, beautiful and a landmark. The fact it’s the town hall, and not the City Hall, has always puzzled me, but I don’t think the name should be changed even though, when it was built, Manchester was the city.
As with all such places, people use the tower to guide navigation and as a place to meet. That’s before we begin to cover the function of the town hall in the life of the city. Of course, the clock’s primary function is to mark time for the day. Here it reads five-fifty something, just before home time.
Marking time
The degree of detail is bordering on the excessive and a fine example of its period and there we are back to clocks and the marking of the ephemeral. For something we cannot control, time occupies much of our thoughts.
- How long?
- When will we meet?
- Is it time yet?
- Will I be able to get it in time?
- Will I be able to do it in time?
- This is is taking ages!
We could go on…
Time is important for coordination of transport, and people’s working lives, and there is another rabbit hole I could traverse.
The colour is the next thing that captures my attention and one of the reasons I’ve exaggerated it in this and other paintings. Growing up, my impression of Manchester was a dark city with buildings blackened by soot. Details were masked, light absorbed and it felt like a black and white photograph. It’s ironic that most images of the time are black and white. Watching the cleaning of the city, during my school years and beyond, has been a joyous experience, as familiar buildings were transformed and hitherto unseen details were revealed. The transformation as colour gradually filled the monochromatic city and brought a new light and atmosphere.
Back to the painting of Manchester town hall.
There’s an excess of arches and columns, not singular supports, but sets of three or four either side of the windows. Trefoil windows feature stained glass displays, water-spout Griffons guard corners and so many roof turrets that it could be a Fairy Castle.
All this in glorious weathered stones, ranging from honey yellow, through rich reds and greens, to dark umber and black: a rainbow of colour. A jewel in a city with a proud history. Manchester Town Hall, a landmark on the journey home, frozen in that moment just before work ends for the day.
It’s Nearly Hometime!
