Gezicht op een rivier door een stad 1871 - 1922

Gustave Leheutre created this delicate river view using etching techniques, capturing a waterside town where buildings meet the water's edge. The bridge, an ancient symbol of connection and transition, arches over the river, inviting contemplation. The bridge motif appears throughout art history, from Roman aqueducts, expressions of power and engineering, to medieval depictions of bridges as gateways to divine realms. In Leheutre's view, the bridge serves as a meeting place of conscious and unconscious desires. Consider how water, too, often represents the flow of time and the depths of the human psyche. In mythology, rivers like the Styx mark the passage to the underworld, a place of shadows and hidden truths. The water here acts as a mirror, reflecting the buildings and, perhaps, our own inner landscapes. The emotional pull of the image resides in its serene stillness. The artist captures a moment of tranquility, yet the underlying symbolism hints at the ceaseless, cyclical progression of life and the enduring human quest for meaning.