Little Devil's Bridge 1858

Curator: This is Thomas Goff Lupton’s “Little Devil’s Bridge,” housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Look at how he’s captured this formidable span. Editor: It’s dramatic, isn’t it? Ominous even, with that monochromatic palette and churning sky. It almost feels apocalyptic. Curator: The bridge itself becomes a potent symbol. A connector, yet isolated within such a wild landscape. Consider the Romantic fascination with the sublime, the awe-inspiring power of nature. Editor: And consider the labor involved in creating the print itself. The aquatint process, the biting of the plate, the layers of tone meticulously built up. It speaks to a relationship between human intervention and the landscape. Curator: Indeed, Lupton’s bridge seems to suggest a precarious balance between our human endeavors and the overwhelming force of the natural world. Editor: A balance perpetually in negotiation. It makes me consider our current moment and what we are building towards. Curator: It is a lot to consider. Editor: It is.