Aanleg van de weg langs een helling 1903 - 1913

This anonymous photograph captures a winding road being built into a hillside, maybe they used gelatin silver prints. I can imagine the photographer setting up their equipment, trying to capture the enormity of the landscape. There’s this raw, almost brutal quality to the scene. The workers carving into the earth, laying stones – it's a testament to human effort. You can almost feel the loose soil, the heavy stones. The monochromatic palette strips away the color, focusing your attention on the textures. But look at that lone tree, leaning precariously over the road. It's like a question mark, a reminder of the tension between nature and human intervention. When looking at this, I am reminded of the paintings of Courbet. They each have a similar focus on the work of humanity. It makes you think, doesn’t it? How artists, no matter their medium, are always riffing off each other, finding new ways to see the world.