Kruiend ijs op de Rijn bij Arnhem, 1855 1855

Editor: This is a drawing entitled "Kruiend ijs op de Rijn bij Arnhem, 1855" by Petrus Kiers, using a printmaking technique. The image depicts what appears to be a frozen river landscape. It evokes a rather melancholic feeling, seeing this frozen river. What symbolic readings do you find in the imagery of this frozen landscape? Curator: A frozen river, especially the Rhine, possesses potent symbolism. Rivers often represent the flow of time, life, and progress. When frozen, this flow is arrested, suggesting stagnation, hardship, or even the dormancy that precedes renewal. The 'kruiend ijs' or "drifting ice," adds another layer. Editor: How so? Curator: It suggests a powerful, almost chaotic, energy trapped beneath the surface. It speaks to me of hidden depths and forces beyond our control, a very Romantic notion. Look at the period in which this work was made. What were the significant events happening? Might this scene relate to social anxieties of the time? Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it. The date does coincide with a period of considerable change and societal anxieties... The Crimean war had just ended and a deep recession took hold in 1857. It's fascinating how landscape can carry so much symbolic weight beyond its mere depiction. Curator: Indeed! And landscapes often reflect the values of their culture. It invites a deeper contemplation, connecting to both our individual and collective memories. We are, each of us, deeply affected by the shifting environments, physical, cultural, or emotional, we find ourselves within.