Gezicht op de Koutoubia-moskee te Marrakech Possibly 1927

A.G.A. van Eelde made this gelatin silver print of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech. Look at the way the light washes over the minaret, softening its edges. It’s like seeing a memory, isn’t it? I wonder what Van Eelde was thinking, framing this shot. Did they wait for the perfect moment, when the sun bleached the sky just so? Photography is painting with light, and the photographer has to think about light so carefully. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, and her quiet, contemplative grids. Both artists capture a sense of stillness, inviting us to pause. Van Eelde’s Marrakech is not some exotic postcard, but a place of quiet contemplation. You know, it’s funny how one artist can spark something in another, even across different mediums and eras.