Gezicht op Noordwijk before 1915

This quiet, sepia scene of Noordwijk is by an unknown artist, in an unknown medium. Immediately, I’m drawn to that ‘unknown’. It suggests a sense of freedom – the kind you might find in a dream. I’m picturing the artist standing on the dunes, buffeted by the wind, squinting at the landscape, thinking how to capture it. There's something so comforting about this scene, like an old photograph, that it feels like a memory. The monochrome palette evokes a feeling of nostalgia, of a time gone by. The lack of detail in the houses makes them feel almost spectral, like ghosts of buildings. The artist’s mark-making suggests an interest in texture, and the way light falls on the foliage. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s landscapes, where he blurs the line between photography and painting, creating a sense of ambiguity and unease. I see this anonymous artist as part of that same conversation. Their vision is unique, and part of an ongoing artistic dialogue, enriching our understanding of how we perceive and remember the world.