Gezicht op de brug over de Rijn bij Lyon 1631 - 1661

Israel Silvestre created this etching of a view of the bridge over the Rhone at Lyon sometime in the 17th century. Immediately, the density of the lines strikes you. The structures are built up from dense and closely packed marks that give a feeling of age, weight and permanence. Silvestre’s composition is a study in contrasts, playing with light and shadow using the etched line. Note how the dark, brooding sky, rendered with agitated, swirling lines, contrasts with the stoic architecture below. The artist’s precise delineation of architectural forms set against the atmospheric rendering of the sky is very compelling. Silvestre’s focus on line and form invites us to consider how the structural elements of the city reflect and shape the cultural landscape. The etching shows us how a semiotic system can be derived not just from what is depicted, but how it is depicted, challenging fixed meanings and engaging us with new ways of seeing.