Gevecht op een brug 1751

Hyacinth de La Pegna created this image of conflict on a bridge using etching. Here, the bridge is the central icon, acting as both a physical structure and a symbolic stage for human drama. Consider, if you will, how bridges appear throughout art history: often, they are liminal spaces, thresholds between worlds. From ancient Roman reliefs depicting military triumphs across great rivers to medieval depictions of the Bridge of Souls, these structures are loaded with meaning. The chaos unfolding on this bridge reminds me of the psychomachia, the battle for the soul depicted in medieval art, where virtues and vices clash in violent struggle. This scene is not just a battle between soldiers; it is a manifestation of deeper, existential conflicts, and the bridge becomes the arena where these forces meet. The recurring motif of the bridge underscores our collective fascination with transitions, struggles, and the psychological weight of choices made in times of conflict. This primal scene of struggle and crossing taps into our deepest fears and aspirations.