Gezicht op de Toerijstuin richting de Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk te Rotterdam 1900 - 1920

This photographic print by G. Hidderley gives us a view of Rotterdam, looking towards the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk. It’s rendered in monochrome, with a muted palette which lends a particular feel to the composition. Look closely, and you can see how the artist has meticulously captured the textures of the buildings, water, and foliage. The reflections in the water give the scene a kind of painterly quality, despite being created by photographic means. Notice the way the bridge intersects the composition; its solidity balances the delicacy of the church tower in the distance. It is as if Hidderley wanted to show the balance between the man-made structures and nature in the industrialising city. Hidderley reminds me of Eugène Atget, who documented Paris at the turn of the last century. Like Atget, Hidderley uses photography to freeze a moment in time. It is, also, a moment of great change in the history of the city. Through photographs like this one, we can glimpse a world that is both familiar and distant.