Gezicht op de Pont Notre-Dame 1858

Henri Alexandre Saffrey's etching presents a view of the Pont Notre-Dame, focusing on the structural elements beneath the bridge, a dance of vertical and horizontal lines. The tower that rises in the center reminds me of the ancient watchtowers of old Europe. These towers were not just architectural features; they were symbols of power, security, and vigilance. Now, observe how this tower is echoed in other forms: the vertical thrust of Gothic cathedrals, reaching towards the divine. Such forms recur throughout history, embodying a reaching for something beyond ourselves, a yearning. Consider the bridge itself, a symbol of connection, of transition. Bridges have always held a potent symbolic weight in the human psyche, representing the crossing of thresholds, both physical and metaphorical. These symbols are powerful because they engage with our collective memory and resonate with subconscious desires for order, connection, and transcendence, which echo through time.