Amsterdam, Koningsplein 1890 - 1920

This little vista of the Koningsplein in Amsterdam, made by Trenkler & Co, feels like a happy accident. The sky is a pale wash, bleeding into the rooftops, and the buildings pop with shades of red and brown. I can imagine the artist standing there, trying to capture the light, figuring out the right balance between the architecture and the bustling street life. There is a sense of improvisation, a willingness to let the image evolve. Those awnings, for example, are rendered with such quick, confident strokes. The whole thing reminds me of other paintings where artists are trying to nail that fleeting moment, that specific atmosphere. You see it in Impressionism, of course, but also in some of the German painters. It is like they are saying, "Here is what I saw, but also here is how I felt when I saw it." It is about conversation and exchange.