Dongio in the Pollenzer Thal c. 18th century

Curator: Dongio in the Pollenzer Thal, an etching by Johann Heinrich Meyer, born in 1680, captures an airy vista of a Swiss village nestled among the mountains. What strikes you first? Editor: It has a storybook feel, almost like a Grimm's fairytale landscape, the village tiny and remote under the looming mountains. A romantic, if slightly ominous, scene. Curator: The bridge, a classical symbol, is interesting to me, offering both connection and a crossing-over. Meyer includes figures on it. A journey? Editor: Definitely. The bridge as a portal makes sense. It's about transitions, leaving the known for something... bigger. I wonder if the artist saw it that way. Curator: It's a place of aspiration, rendered with such simple lines. A beautiful, quiet piece. Editor: Yes, a distillation of longing, perhaps, a dream of escape.