Scale of time
On July 1, 1957, the final steel beam was installed on the first bridge spanning the Yangtze River, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in Hubei province, marking its completion. From a small boat drifting on the rippling river, artist Wu Shi, then 43 years old, witnessed the moment. His woodcut, The Final Steel Beam, took nearly four years to complete, capturing the historic scene and becoming a landmark work in New China's printmaking.
Now the centerpiece of The Scale of Time, an exhibition at the Hubei Museum of Art in Wuhan running through May 24, the piece anchors a broader display of works depicting the bridge across different eras. Together, they document the project's impact on the city and its people, while reflecting the nation's industrial and social progress.
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