View of Luxembourg, seen from the bridge at the Grund suburb
after 1834 - before 1836H x L : 20.1 x 25.6 cm (sheet)
“View of Luxembourg, seen from the bridge at the Grund suburb” was part of a collection of lithographs produced by Nicolas Liez for N. Reuter, entitled "Voyage pittoresque dans le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg". At the time, the lithographs were not published as a complete collection, but were released in batches of two. Of the fifty produced landscapes Liez lithographed forty-nine. Twenty-four were based on his drawings (a further two are still contested).
This particular view depicts an idealistic rendering of the bridge in the Grund in Luxembourg city. Children, equipped with fishing rods, are getting ready to go fishing in the Alzette. Two men, placed in the middle of the bridge have a similar idea, heaving up their net, forming the central line of the composition. Thus, a connection between the background - the Bock promontory - and the foreground is created. The eye can easily navigate from the St Michael’s Church (Mëchelskierch) passed the river to the people on the bridge. The craftsmanship, for which he was already celebrated during his lifetime, is undeniably on display in this wholesome cityscape.
Text | CC BY-NC | Lisi Linster