Aanleg van een viaduct in Rotterdam, 1874 1874 - 1877

This is a photograph from 1874 by Julius Perger, titled "Aanleg van een viaduct in Rotterdam". It captures the construction of a viaduct, dominating the scene with its curving steel form set against a busy urban landscape. The composition is structured around a contrast between the industrial architecture of the viaduct and the human figures populating the foreground. The viaduct’s curve creates a dynamic line that sweeps across the frame, while the verticality of the supporting columns provides a sense of stability. Light and shadow play across the brickwork and steel, emphasizing the materiality of the construction. What might be described as the “grammar” of this photograph uses the semiotic interplay between architectural form and human presence to speak to broader themes of industrial progress and social change. The photograph invites a deeper reflection on how infrastructure projects reshape urban environments and redefine human experiences within the modern landscape.