Brug over de Fulda te Kassel Possibly 1888

Curator: Elias Stark's "Bridge over the Fulda at Kassel," possibly from 1888, is an etching that captures a moment of quiet urbanity. I find it simply elegant. Editor: Elegant, yes, but that quietness speaks volumes to me. Bridges are connectors, both literally and figuratively, and this print hints at the social fabric they facilitate and also the divides that run parallel to such access. I feel an urgency here. Curator: Urgency? It feels rather still. Look at the reflections in the water, the gentle curve of the arches. The composition almost breathes, you know, a slow inhale and exhale. Like a sigh of a city... a well-loved sigh. Editor: But consider the socio-economic context. Bridges often served as vital transport arteries, essential for commerce and labor, yet simultaneously controlled spaces. Who had access to this bridge? Who benefitted most from it? The presence of labor is there, as the reflection and position in the space. That’s always there, and felt here. Curator: I get that. But perhaps the beauty *is* the point here. Maybe Stark is showing us the aspirational quality of connection. I am touched, how do we bridge those divides within ourselves? Doesn't this inspire the question and consideration of beauty and accessibility for all? Editor: I am glad we have different reads of this piece. I wonder about that focus on beauty; doesn't it sometimes function to sanitize harsher realities? Curator: Maybe. Or maybe beauty provides respite, even if temporary, a space for reflection, a balm for the soul before the next… engagement. It’s there in the artist’s pencil strokes—gentle and precise, full of such fleeting hope. The very hope this piece might be intended for, don't you think? Editor: Indeed, and I also recognize that in Stark’s time, industrialization was rapidly reshaping cities. Maybe the tranquil quality we see is also tinged with anxiety. The threat of displacement is always there. Curator: Well, whether respite or threat, or some potent cocktail of both, it's definitely given us a lot to chew on. It just looks pretty until you have to sit and write about it. Editor: Absolutely, and situating it within historical and social currents certainly enriches our experience of Stark’s etching.