Twee foto's van Valkenburg, mei 1923 1923 - 1925

These two photographs of Valkenburg were taken in May 1923 by Hendrik Herman van den Berg. They're like a muted song, almost drained of color, capturing a place in that in-between moment, a whisper of what was and what's becoming. The photo on the left feels like looking down a long corridor of time, the water like a reflective path. I can imagine van den Berg setting up his camera, the light just so, trying to freeze a fleeting moment. The second image of the ruins is like a puzzle of stone, light and shadow playing tricks on the eye. It's as if the artist wanted to explore the quiet decay of the old. Photography is a conversation with time, and van den Berg is right there in the mix, listening to what these places have to say. His work reminds me of other early photography, that same urge to capture and hold onto something ephemeral. It’s all about the artist’s vision, and the stories they leave behind.