Schip in de Zwanenburgwal met de Zuiderkerkstoren op de achtergrond 1904

This silvery photograph of a boat was taken by James Higson, who was born in 1862. It shows a boat on the Zwanenburgwal canal with the Zuiderkerk church tower in the background. I think that he may have been thinking of how to capture the stillness of the water and the weight of the vessel, almost as if the sepia photograph is a kind of mirror reflecting the scene back on itself. Look at the way the mast extends up towards the church tower, with a web of ropes stretched out like a spider’s web—a structure that is at once functional and beautiful. The boat takes center stage, looming large in the foreground, it is a testament to human ingenuity and craftsmanship, as well as the history of trade and exploration. It is a quiet meditation on the passage of time. Artists like Higson remind us that our perceptions are always shifting, changing as we navigate the currents of our lives.