Devil's Bridge toward the Gothard Mountain in Switzerland 1785 - 1824

Editor: This is "Devil's Bridge toward the Gothard Mountain in Switzerland" made between 1785 and 1824, probably by Franz Xaver Triner. It looks like watercolor, a drawing of a rather imposing landscape. It's got this kind of daunting feeling... all those craggy rocks and that precarious-looking bridge. What do you see when you look at this work? Curator: Oh, you nailed the mood. The "daunting feeling" is spot on. It's the Romantic era distilled! For me, it’s all about that sublime terror – the beautiful and terrifying power of nature overwhelming human endeavor. Look at those tiny figures crossing the bridge! Do you get a sense of how vulnerable they appear against the sheer scale of the mountains? Editor: Absolutely, they're dwarfed by the landscape. It almost feels like a commentary on humanity's place in the world. Curator: Precisely! Triner isn't just painting pretty scenery. He's hinting at something deeper. Think about the "Devil's Bridge" itself – legend has it, it required a deal with the Devil to build it. It tells a story, doesn’t it, of human ambition and its consequences in the face of wild nature? The rushing water also gives this element of unpredictability of our planet. It can both make and unmake anything that humankind set forth to create. What do you think? Does it also bring to your mind a certain element of hope? Or you think I am exaggerating too much here? Editor: No, not at all. It makes me think of our modern-day struggle with climate change. Curator: Exactly. Even centuries later, the conversation continues. Art, in its true splendor, transcends space and time. I hadn’t thought about the bridge in relation to modern climate anxieties but the link is definitely there. Editor: This painting suddenly feels much more relevant. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Seeing it with fresh eyes always makes art new again, even for me.