Brug over de Rijn bij Kehl 1858

This print of the bridge over the Rhine at Kehl was made by an anonymous artist, using engraving, a process involving careful scoring of a metal plate, and inking it to transfer the design to paper. The image is dominated by the wooden bridge, a feat of engineering connecting two towns across a wide span of water. What makes this image so striking is the clear emphasis on labor; we see figures on horseback, pulling carts, and walking across the structure, all dwarfed by the bridge’s imposing scale. The bridge itself is a testament to human effort, and an emblem of trade and social connection. Notably, the labor extends to the making of the image itself, and the engraver's own skilled work in capturing the details of the bridge and the figures traversing it. It gives us insight into the complex relationship between materials, labor, and the networks that bind communities together.