Opstelling van de vaste overspanning brug over de Oude Maas op de rechter oever bij Spijkenisse 1902 - 1906

This photograph, taken in June 1902 by Arnaud Pistoor & Zoon, shows the construction of a bridge over the Oude Maas in Spijkenisse. The tonality is monochromatic, a range of earth tones, sepia almost, and the composition is carefully organized. It feels very solid and real but has an ephemeral, dream-like quality too, in the way that the photograph seems to suspend the bridge in time. This feeling comes from the layering of diagonal lines that criss-cross to create diamond shapes. I keep thinking about how the arrangement of lines, and the overall structure of the bridge, are like a drawing in space, or an exercise in perspective. I’m reminded of Sol Lewitt’s structures. There’s a tension between the sharp lines of the bridge, and the blurrier landscape. The way the light catches the different surfaces creates texture. You get a sense of a real place and time but it also feels like a strange vision. What makes this picture so magical is the juxtaposition of these elements: the industrial and the natural, the abstract and the figurative.