Den Haag 1935 - 1942

This black and white photography probably comes from an anonymous artist’s camera and dark room somewhere in Den Haag. Here is the artist taking their time to compile their photos in a book. I can imagine them walking around the city, framing buildings and streets. The light must have been strong and direct, creating solid contrasts. The tones, now faded in time, feel balanced like a well-composed painting. I wonder, as they are looking for their shots, are they thinking about the painters who came before them? Are they reimagining the Dutch Masters? Or are they looking to the future? The photographer has a conversation with their city, and we get to participate in it. Like painters, they create something from nothing, capturing a moment in time. Artists are in dialogue, across decades, through time. I can only imagine that as they were walking the streets they had no idea how their work would speak to us now.