Cathedral Interior

An accomplished printmaker as well as painter, Maltby Sykes was an influential teacher at Auburn University in Alabama. With assistance from a New York printer, he secured supplies and equipment and set up a printmaking program at the university. He also accompanied a group of Auburn students to Japan to study traditional printmaking techniques.

Cathedral Interior is a simplified depiction of a building. Revealing his printmaking skills, Sykes combined color engraving and mezzotint, a type of engraving known for creating solid blacks. Using thin lines, Sykes defined the walls and the pointed arches of a Gothic cathedral. The areas with color refer to stained glass: the blue for the rose window on the front, yellow for the tall nave window, and red for the aisle.