Brug bij Station Amsterdam Centraal 1886

Maurits van der Valk’s etching presents the bridge at Amsterdam Central Station, teeming with figures caught in the transit of daily life. Notice the lamp posts lining the bridge, standing like silent sentinels. These beacons of light echo the classical pillars of antiquity but have transformed into symbols of modernity, guiding the flow of people and commerce. Consider the "axis mundi" of the ancient world, such as the obelisks of Egypt, later re-interpreted as the pillars of wisdom or symbols of enlightenment. The composition draws us in, mirroring the emotional currents of a bustling city. The bridge, as a symbol, has been repeated through the ages and evokes the "Ponte Vecchio" in Florence, as a place of commerce and a link between two realities. The bridge, like a conduit, funnels movement and energy, a reflection of the ever-evolving dance between the past and the future.