Huizen a/d Van Boetzelaerlaan Ontwerp: Bloem & De Man 1900 - 1915

This is a photograph of houses on Van Boetzelaerlaan, captured by C.J. de Gilde. The tones in this photo feel muted, like a memory fading gently over time, a process of light and shadow playing across brick and mortar. Look how the buildings almost line up, each one similar but with enough variation to catch your eye. It's like a rhythm, a beat, that makes you want to look again. The surface is matte, which makes it feel accessible and tangible. There's a stillness to the image, which I think comes from the way the light sits evenly across the scene. The sky, almost blank, echoes the quiet simplicity of the houses. This reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher's photographs of industrial structures, these photos share the same interest in documenting architecture as a way of understanding place and time. Ultimately, it’s about seeing more than just what’s in front of us.