Straatgezicht in de Alpen 1930 - 1932

Frank Willem van den Berg’s photograph, Straatgezicht in de Alpen, shows us an alpine street scene, but the black and white palette feels more about tone and light. It reminds me of an old movie still, or maybe a dream I once had. The image is framed by a stone arch, like looking through a portal, and the road is slightly tilted, giving a sense of unease, as if the world is about to slide off its axis. The details are so sharp, you can almost feel the chill in the air. The textures of the stone, the rough road, and the distant buildings invite you to reach out and touch them, despite the fact the image is behind glass. It is like stepping back in time, a world that’s both familiar and distant. It's like the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures with a similar detached precision. It is a testament to art's ability to capture fleeting moments and preserve them for eternity. It makes you wonder about the story of the person walking along the road, and about where they might be going.