Gezicht op Herengracht 73 te Hasselt 1904

This silver gelatin print captures the view of Herengracht 73 in Hasselt. Looking at this, I’m imagining the photographer setting up their equipment on a day when the light was just right, probably working with a large format camera. I’m struck by the way the composition is so carefully arranged: the building is centered, flanked by trees that add a sense of depth, and the canal in the foreground. You can almost feel the stillness of the water. I wonder what it must have been like to stand there, composing the view through the lens. What were they thinking? Did they anticipate the way we’d be looking at this image, years later? The grainy details remind us of the material of this photograph and the labor involved in capturing this scene. And the tones, ranging from soft grays to deeper blacks, are so delicate. In a way, it makes me think about the conversation artists have across time, inspiring and challenging each other to see the world in new ways.