Gezicht op het stadhuis van Brussel, gezien door een smalle straat before 1909

Editor: This print, "Gezicht op het stadhuis van Brussel, gezien door een smalle straat"—or "View of Brussels City Hall Through a Narrow Street"—by V.C. Andrigo, made before 1909, feels almost photographic in its detail. It's a stunning cityscape rendered in etching on paper. I am immediately struck by how Andrigo captures the depth of the street. What’s your take? Curator: The depth! Precisely. The artist certainly knew how to create a visual vortex with simple lines. I am immediately reminded of Piranesi, of course, though more gentle, wouldn't you say? But it’s more than mere representation; it’s a distilled experience. Editor: In what sense? Curator: Think of wandering through a city, a beloved city… Doesn’t your gaze naturally seek the focal point, like here, that striking tower? Andrigo masterfully plays with perspective, almost inviting you to stroll into the frame. Notice the slight distortions? Not flaws, but rather expressions. Editor: I see what you mean! The way the buildings lean slightly inward… it makes the city feel alive, like it’s breathing. And the people there—tiny figures, swallowed up in this perspective... Curator: Ghosts from a forgotten street—the quiet buzz of the past made visible. Each tiny etching mark, intentional or not, contributing to that feeling... the mystery of a personal reflection cast over the eternal cobblestones. Does it remind you of a memory? Editor: Absolutely! Now I'm thinking of my semester abroad... This makes me want to get wonderfully lost in Brussels right now. Thank you for helping me see this piece with fresh eyes. Curator: A pleasure to help navigate these beautiful emotional labyrinths of our making, you and I!