Boten langs een kade tijdens de overstroming van Parijs 1910 - 1911

This is an undated photograph by G. Dangereux, of boats along a quay during the flooding of Paris. It's incredible how the sepia tones wash over everything, creating a sense of timelessness, even as the scene depicts a moment of crisis. The texture of the water is smooth, almost like glass, yet you know it's turbulent underneath. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the boats, those hard reflections cutting against the soft gloom of the water. It is like a metaphor for the city itself. But it's the composition that really grabs me. The juxtaposition of the sturdy buildings on the left with the chaos of the boats on the right. The rigid architecture versus the fluidity of the water. It reminds me a bit of Eugène Atget’s photographs of Paris, a similar focus on capturing the essence of the city through its architecture and atmosphere.