Zeilschip op de Lek met op de oever de molens De Hoop en Weltevreden 1904

This photograph, by James Higson, captures a sailboat on the Lek river with the windmills De Hoop and Weltevreden on the shore, and it's kind of dreamlike, don't you think? The sepia tones give it a timeless feel, like it could have been taken yesterday or a hundred years ago. There is such subtlety in the gradations of tone, a soft focus that makes everything appear like it is on the verge of dissolving into the mist. Higson has captured a moment of stillness. The water is calm, the sails are full, and the windmills stand sentinel on the shore. I think it speaks to the artist's ability to find beauty in the everyday. It reminds me a little bit of the work of Gustave Le Gray, another photographer who was interested in capturing the beauty of the natural world, and in using photography as a means of artistic expression. It’s a nice reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, isn’t it? Always echoing, always responding.