Boortoren 1903 - 1907

This black and white photograph, "Boortoren," shows a tower structure, and it’s hard not to look for the artist's hand in the final image. I imagine someone out there looking through the camera obscura box, trying to steady their breath, thinking about the amount of light, the weather and the moment. They were probably asking themselves whether the image was going to come out blurry, smudgy or out of focus. There’s so much going on in this photo. It documents the place and time. But also, it makes me think of this person—of how the artist chose their angle and waited for the right moment. Maybe they considered other artists, past or present, and how they approached similar subject matter, wondering how to bring their vision to life. Artists inspire one another across time. Each one building on the work of those who came before.