View Across the River 

Editor: So, this etching, "View Across the River," the artist is listed as Alexander M. Bing, but there is no creation date. The city-scape is created with many geometric shapes, almost entirely of etched lines and it looks kind of chaotic, yet captivating. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Look how Bing renders the buildings. Not with solid form, but skeletal lines, which are almost symbolic, like the bones of a once-living city. The city-scape—which looms with tall towers and bridges—has its own visual language, communicating ideas about community and connection in a modern metropolis, which might be felt even without it being fully rendered. What feelings surface for you when you consider this perspective? Editor: I'm intrigued by what appears unfinished or suggested. It definitely evokes this almost haunting effect—the fleeting nature of urban life, or the feeling of a city always under construction. Are there any repeating forms here? Curator: Notice the recurrence of vertical lines mimicking each other, even from what appears to be a reflection on the water. There seems to be a hidden desire to give symmetry and order, like it needs taming. Do you agree with this intention? Editor: I see what you mean about those subtle mirrored images. It makes me think about how much we try to contain nature. Now, what's interesting to me is the absence of human figures within the scene. It emphasizes the structural or constructed element over everything else. I suppose that by observing it this way, there seems to be another underlying symbol related to absence and loss, especially since the skyline could potentially refer to war-ridden European cities during Bing's time. Curator: An insightful connection! The etching serves as a profound statement about civilization's enduring spirit. I've found a new perspective myself—thank you.