Borgo San Jacopo (Firenze) before 1954

Editor: Here we have Elena Wissmann’s “Borgo San Jacopo (Firenze)”, an etching on paper created sometime before 1954. The way the light dances on the water immediately caught my eye. What's your take on this cityscape? Curator: Ah, yes, Wissmann. A quiet master of light. For me, it’s the story that this piece whispers. The buildings are packed tightly, but rendered with such delicate lines! I see centuries of lives stacked on top of each other. Look how the water reflects those ancient walls. Doesn't it almost feel like staring into a mirror of time, remembering all the hands that touched them? Editor: Absolutely, I feel that sense of history too! Does the fact that it’s an etching influence how we should read the work, you think? Curator: Absolutely! Etching offers such intimate detail. Think about the process – the artist meticulously scratching into a metal plate, each line deliberate. The softness of the light feels even more profound when you consider that hard labor. The medium reminds me of the dedicated craftsmanship of the artisans who originally built Florence. Editor: That's fascinating. I never thought about the actual *making* of an etching as influencing how I see the final result. It makes the image feel almost… fragile, despite the solid buildings. Curator: Precisely. Like Florence itself, beautiful but constantly aging, weathered by time and the Arno. I'd wager this etching is a quiet reminder of beauty's impermanence. The question for me is not just “What is it?” but "What might disappear if we aren’t paying attention?". Editor: Wow. I’m seeing so many new layers now. It makes you think, doesn’t it?