Bridge at the Mill (Le pont du moulin) 

Alphonse Legros created this etching titled 'Bridge at the Mill' during a period when the artistic world was shifting its focus from grand historical narratives to more intimate and immediate scenes of everyday life. Legros, who straddled both French and British cultural contexts, often depicted rural landscapes with a sense of melancholy and social realism. This work, with its dense, intricate lines, invites us to consider the lives of those connected to the mill. The bridge, a point of connection, might also symbolize the divide between the working class and the emerging industrial society. The scene evokes a quiet, reflective mood, yet it hints at the labor and lives intertwined with the natural world. It reminds us of the social and economic transformations of the 19th century, and the deeply personal relationship between people and their environment.