Gezicht op de Dam te Amsterdam tijdens werkzaamheden voor de verruiming van de Dam, 1916 1916

This photograph of the Dam Square in Amsterdam, was taken in 1916 by Barend W. Arendsen, probably using a large format camera. It captures a moment of urban transformation, when change was literally under construction. The sepia tones give the scene a unified palette that’s both historical and immediate. There’s a fascinating contrast between the solid, weighty buildings in the background and the ephemeral scaffolding and construction in the foreground. A particular mark that grabs my attention is the texture of the brickwork on the buildings, which is both precise and hazy. This contrast mirrors the balance between permanence and change that defines our experience of cities. Looking at this image, I’m reminded of Eugène Atget, who also documented the changing face of a city, and reminds us that art, like a city, is never really finished but is in an ongoing process of change and re-interpretation.