Haven te Hamburg 1851 - 1902

Editor: Here we have "Haven te Hamburg," or "Port of Hamburg," an etching by Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande, created sometime between 1851 and 1902. It gives such a strong impression of a bustling, busy port. All those masts! What stories do you see in this piece? Curator: The masts are fascinating, aren't they? Rising like skeletal trees. Consider them, not just as structural elements of ships, but as symbols. Masts are connection, literally a link to faraway lands, dreams, commerce. Notice how the artist uses the etching technique; those delicate lines create an incredible sense of depth and atmosphere, almost as if we can smell the salt air. Editor: That’s a beautiful point – those skeletal trees – that sense of both potential and… something almost forlorn. Do you see any kind of contrast between the boats, the modes of transportation? Curator: Precisely. We have these sailing ships and the emerging steam-powered vessels. Sailing ships representing the older order are gradually overtaken, in numbers, by those emitting smoke from newly-constructed smokestacks along the distant docks. Doesn't that image carry with it the weight of societal change and industrial advancement? Editor: It’s striking how potent those relatively simple shapes become, seen that way. Thanks – I wouldn’t have picked up on that so readily myself! Curator: Indeed. What we see represented are objects laden with memories, reflecting our relationship with both progress and the past. It’s remarkable.