Stone Bridge 1761

Editor: Here we have Johann Georg Wille's "Stone Bridge." It's an engraving, and I find the scene quite intimate. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: I'm interested in the way Wille depicts labor and leisure in this rural setting. Consider the figures beneath the bridge. What social dynamics do you think are at play between them, and perhaps in contrast with those working? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about the power dynamics. Are you saying this image might be commenting on the lives of everyday people? Curator: Precisely. How does the crumbling architecture in the background speak to the longevity of labor and the precarity of life for some, while others enjoy leisure? Editor: I see what you mean. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll look at art differently now.