Bords de la Marne 1857 - 1867

Curator: It has an almost wistful quality to it, this landscape. Sort of makes me think of hazy summer afternoons and quiet contemplation. Editor: What catches my eye about "Bords de la Marne" by Charles Jacque, likely crafted between 1857 and 1867, is its apparent simplicity. It is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and created using the etching technique. The image shows a calm river scene, rendered in monochromatic tones. Curator: Yes, the stillness is palpable, isn't it? Even the reflections in the water feel like secrets held close. I see, it’s that classic mid-19th-century romantic idealization of nature, isn't it? That hushed space. Editor: And what symbols! Water is the fluidity of time. It often embodies transition, reflection, unconscious depths. The figures in their boat, set adrift, might represent a passing moment or the soul journeying down the stream of life. We only see them from the back, like anonymous characters participating in nature's drama. The cluster of birds, flying across the top, symbolizes a movement towards freedom, or aspiration for reaching to another realm, or to suggest there is even a better view of life if they look to it? Curator: The dark etching highlights something fundamental; in all its tranquility there’s a haunting awareness of our insignificance against nature's scale. But, there’s still joy in sharing the moment, being a piece of something greater than ourselves, as seen with those souls together in that small rowboat! I’m kind of falling in love with that scene, I’d love to be rowing. It would make an incredible poster. Editor: This interplay of light and shadow achieved through etching adds dimension. It allows us to read into the piece. This medium inherently captures subtleties that we might miss at first. Perhaps Jacque wanted to slow us down. Or offer the public what was actually possible with life - a time out! Curator: A beautiful scene, but there's definitely a bittersweet note—a passing of time and perhaps fleeting youth kind of mood there. It's pretty striking what they created back then given our crazy technology these days! I want it as a giant screensaver to make myself chill! Editor: Agreed! What initially seemed like just a picture suddenly whispers deeper truths about humanity’s relationship with the natural world and the symbols we attach to our passing lives within its embrace. This piece stays with me, echoing across our cultural timeline.