Straatgezicht met paifang before 1920

Donald Mennie’s ‘Straatgezicht met paifang’ feels like a memory, captured in sepia tones with a lens. I wonder about the act of framing, choosing this particular view of the street. There’s a stillness to the scene, yet you sense the hustle of everyday life. Those paifang arches loom large, framing the world, and the people milling beneath them become part of the composition. It’s almost like Mennie is painting with light, layering tones to create depth and texture. I can imagine Mennie setting up his camera, waiting for the right moment, the right balance of light and shadow. Was he trying to capture a sense of place, a feeling of being there? It reminds me of some of the early street photography, where the photographer is both observer and participant, trying to make sense of the world through the lens. Artists are always in dialogue with one another, borrowing and riffing, trying to make something new.