Bridge and Stream [verso] 1946

Editor: This is Douglas Warner Gorsline's "Bridge and Stream," made in 1946. It's an engraving, a print of a rural scene. The figures are diminutive, and I get a slightly unsettling feeling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The most striking element for me is the intersection of the two fishing lines, forming an "X." The symbol calls to mind crossed swords or perhaps crossed bones. Is Gorsline alluding to a conflict or a hidden danger in this seemingly tranquil scene? The fishermen appear oblivious, and the charming cottage adds to the deceptive calm. What do you make of the fisherman figures in relation to the grand scale of the Roman arch bridge? Editor: It almost looks as if the fishermen are not welcome there, clinging to the architecture as opposed to comfortably owning the space. Is the cottage perhaps intended as a signal, standing in contrast to the architecture? Curator: Exactly! Think of the cottage and the men on the bridge as stand-ins, human proxies if you like, representing older versus more modern concepts of settlement. Do you notice anything odd or discordant about the structure itself? Is it Roman or a later version? Editor: You're right, the architecture looks off. And those men! I now notice the flags - are they signaling one another across an older way of life and newer infrastructure? Curator: Perhaps it’s not an opposition, but the superimposition of different eras on the same space, each coexisting. Look closely. This is a work that reminds us how symbols persist through time, accruing meaning. Gorsline seems to suggest history and life continuing and interacting, despite it all. Editor: I hadn't considered the layering of time and meaning like that. I now see the visual language in a completely new light.