Bedrijvigheid in de Houtkopersdwarsstraat en de Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam c. 1890 - 1910

This photograph was captured by George Hendrik Breitner, probably in the late 19th century, using a process that was then cutting-edge. Photography’s capacity to capture a fleeting moment has always been its magic. But it’s easy to forget that even with modern technology, it remains a fundamentally material process. From the grinding of the lens, to the volatile chemistry of the darkroom, this is an art form that depends on skillful manipulation of substances. Here, Breitner has harnessed those means to arrest a moment of urban activity. He has a clear interest in the texture of everyday life, in the cobbled street and the weight of those laden carts. Though we might now consider photography a fine art, it’s important to remember that when this image was made, it was still closely associated with scientific observation and documentation. Breitner’s picture straddles these worlds, making it hard to say if it is simply a record of a place and time, or a more considered form of aesthetic expression.