Gezicht op een brug in een bergdorp 1881

Maria van Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen made this etching of a bridge in a mountain village. The bridge, a visual symbol of connection, spans the divide between the here and there, echoing ancient Roman aqueducts and the biblical arches Noah built to span great chasms of time and collective memory. These themes of connection and passage recur in the images we make. Think of Turner’s seascapes, in which boats navigate turbulent waters, symbolizing the journey of life, or Caspar David Friedrich’s solitary wanderers gazing across vast landscapes, representing the individual's quest for meaning. The arch, in its many forms, speaks to a collective unconscious. These images tap into our deepest fears and aspirations. This symbolic bridge is not static; it evolves, yet remains resonant across time, an emotional and psychological motif, forever engaging viewers.