Gezicht op een beek met brug in Limburg before 1915

This small photograph shows a view of a brook with a bridge somewhere in Limburg. I really feel for this anonymous artist, you know? There they are, setting up their camera, fiddling with the settings, trying to capture a sense of place, a feeling of being there, in that moment. The bridge makes an arch that lets the eye travel, all that flow! The way the water must have sounded babbling over the stones – it’s all about trying to hold onto something that’s already gone, like a memory. The tones here are so restrained, almost monochromatic, like memory itself. I bet this photographer probably knew other artists of the time, maybe they hung out, talked shop, went to see each other's work, egging each other on, always pushing, always learning. That’s how art evolves – one person sees something, tries something, and then someone else picks it up and runs with it. It's about a conversation.