Gezicht op Peking before 1920

Donald Mennie's "Gezicht op Peking" captures a scene in soft shades, as though time itself has gently faded the image. Imagine Mennie, setting up his camera, framing the delicate trees against the city. I wonder what he was thinking? Perhaps trying to capture not just the look of Peking, but its very feel. The composition, the way the trees reach skyward, it’s like a dance between nature and the city. And you sense he wanted to convey the meeting of these two worlds. The texture, the graininess, it reminds us of the hand involved, the human touch in capturing a moment. It's like when you paint and you're trying to pin down a feeling, a memory. Mennie's work feels similar, a moment captured, layered with emotion and intention. You see echoes of other artists who chased light and shadow, the impressionists maybe, but with his own quiet, thoughtful voice. It reminds us that every artist is in conversation with those who came before, finding their own way to see and show the world.