Gezicht op een weg met daaraan gebouwen before 1878

Félix Bonfils created this photograph, ‘Gezicht op een weg met daaraan gebouwen’ whose date is unknown, capturing a street scene with buildings. The composition is divided into two distinct parts, each a small window into a past world. The first image shows buildings along a road. Its subdued tones and textures evoke a sense of timelessness, almost as if the scene exists outside the flow of history. The use of light and shadow creates depth, inviting the viewer to explore its details. The second image features an archway, presenting a stark contrast between the dark foreground and the bright space beyond. Bonfils’ approach to photography can be seen as an attempt to capture more than just a visual likeness. He uses the camera to document the cultural codes and architectural forms of the time. The contrast between the enclosed archway and open road might symbolize the tension between confinement and freedom, or the known and unknown, offering a glimpse into the philosophical currents of his era.