Vijzelstraat te Amsterdam, voor de verbreding 1900 - 1915

This photograph by Gebr. van R. captures Vijzelstraat in Amsterdam before its widening; it’s a sepia-toned peek into the past. The limited palette gives it a timeless quality, like an old memory softened by age. I'm drawn to the texture in this piece, particularly how the light catches on the rooftops. You can almost feel the grit of the tiles, the way they stack and overlap. Then there’s the contrast with the smoothness of the street, punctuated by the dark figures of people going about their day. Notice the soft blurring of the figures. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s blurred paintings. Both artists are exploring the nature of representation and memory, leaving space for the viewer to fill in the gaps, to imagine their own narrative within the frame.