View of Westminster Bridge from the North 18th-19th century

Editor: So, this print, "View of Westminster Bridge from the North" by Jacques-Simon Chereau I, really captures the bustling life on the Thames. What strikes me is how the bridge seems to connect two very different worlds, the city and... something else. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This image acts as a document of a specific historical moment. It’s not just about aesthetics, but also about power, trade, and the emerging urban landscape. What kind of social exchange do you think is facilitated by this bridge? What communities are being connected, and perhaps, which are being excluded? Editor: Hmm, that's interesting. I hadn't thought about exclusion. Maybe those on the boats? Is the bridge then not a connector, but a divider as well? Curator: Precisely. The bridge, like any structure, creates new power dynamics. Editor: I'm seeing this image in a whole new light. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art invites us to question and to understand.