Twee bruggen in Rotterdam. c. 1940 - 1946

Curator: Here we have an arresting gelatin-silver print titled "Twee bruggen in Rotterdam," or "Two Bridges in Rotterdam," dating from circa 1940 to 1946. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is somber. The heavy gray tones and the sharp lines of the steel bridge give it a weighty, industrial feel. It speaks to the functionality of the city, yet there is something oppressive in the image’s density. Curator: Absolutely. I’m immediately drawn to the textures—the rough brick of the control tower against the smooth, almost slick, surface of the road. This contrast highlights the labor involved in constructing and maintaining the city’s infrastructure. And it certainly carries that postwar feeling, as if even something strong like those bridges still feels quite muted, incomplete almost. Editor: Those bridges… they represent a powerful connection, both literally and symbolically. Bridges often stand for transition, for overcoming obstacles. Their repeated presence hints at the resilience of Rotterdam. It evokes a story, especially during wartime, but also hope after devastation. Curator: Precisely. The composition is rather clever, the way the artist positions the two bridges to suggest continuity and connection. The social context during the time it was taken must have heavily influenced what they chose to capture as subject. Editor: Notice the figures scattered throughout the photograph. They’re small and seemingly insignificant in comparison to the imposing architecture, highlighting humanity’s relationship to these grand, functional structures. The eye moves through those figures along the bridges, the repeated metal constructions above contrasting that presence of flesh. Curator: I am intrigued by what appears to be, potentially, army figures present in the frame? They give this industrial vision more historic and social weight. I can't help thinking about the human resources poured into such construction; and how wartime needs repurpose cities' means of material existence. Editor: Yes, and considering Rotterdam's wartime history, these symbols evoke the sense of a city attempting to rebuild, not just physically, but also its identity. It feels more burdened with history rather than defined by optimism. Curator: A great image, truly, one that resonates at different registers when observed closely! Thank you. Editor: Indeed, a work where history and the city's structural framework coalesce so strongly in the image, making one reflect not just what's there, but the many unspoken stories hovering in its air.