Brug over een sloot bij een boerderij c. 1788 - 1841

Abraham Johannes Ruytenschildt sketched this waterscape, titled "Bridge Over a Ditch Near a Farm," with graphite on paper. The bridge, a humble structure, spans a small ditch, serving as a potent symbol of connection and transition, not merely over water but also between realms. Recall the Roman "pontifex," the bridge-builder, also a high priest, suggesting the bridge's role in linking the earthly with the divine. This symbol finds echoes through the ages, from medieval allegories of the "Bridge of Sighs" to its presence in dreams, embodying life's passages and decisions. Even the windmill in the background has its symbolic weight. Once symbols of prosperity and ingenuity, they now evoke nostalgia for a simpler, more connected way of life. Consider how these motifs engage our collective memory, evoking the quiet, reflective state of contemplation, a visual poem about life's transitions and the enduring human connection to nature.