Gezicht op het Tiber-eiland en Ponte S. Mariae in Rome c. 1604

Editor: We’re looking at "View of the Tiber Island and Ponte S. Mariae in Rome," circa 1604, an etching by Gerrit Gauw. It's all in these incredible shades of gray, but somehow it feels incredibly alive, capturing a city in motion. What catches your eye most about this piece? Curator: You know, what grabs me is how Gauw manages to create such depth with just lines. The architecture isn't just "there"; it's nestled, almost breathing within the landscape. It’s like he’s suggesting the city *grew* organically, versus being built. Do you get that sense of things emerging? Editor: Absolutely. The way the bridge seems to rise out of the water… But is that also, perhaps, a little romanticizing on his part? Like, is it a real depiction? Curator: Probably and, honestly, who cares! Gauw is definitely filtering reality through a baroque lens. Notice the sky. It is not your standard blue backdrop; it almost competes with the architecture, doesn't it? Full of drama, emotion. Baroque loved that kind of grandiosity. Plus, that bridge had *seen things*. Editor: You’re right; it has a sense of timelessness. It makes you think about everything it must have witnessed. Thanks. I think I see it in a whole new light now. Curator: My pleasure. Always great to find the echoes and whispers hidden within those etched lines.