Zicht op de duivelsbrug over de Schöllenenschlucht 1859

Eugène Cicéri made this drawing of the Devil's Bridge over the Schöllenen Gorge using graphite and possibly watercolor, media commonly associated with sketching and preparatory studies. The monochromatic palette and precise rendering directs our attention to the materiality of the bridge itself, constructed from rough-hewn stones painstakingly fitted together. You can see the layered strata of the surrounding rock face, mirroring the bridge’s construction. This suggests a human intervention that respects, even echoes, the landscape's geological processes. Consider the labor involved in building this structure. The stones would have been quarried, transported, and then carefully placed to create the bridge’s arches and supports. It's a testament to human ingenuity and physical effort. By focusing on the built environment and its relationship to the natural world, Cicéri invites us to appreciate the skill and labor embedded in this feat of engineering, and its connection to the landscape it spans. It challenges the conventional hierarchy between art and craft, prompting us to see beauty in the intersection of human endeavor and the earth's raw materials.