Untitled c. 20th century

This anonymous photograph presents a classical scene, somewhere, sometime, captured with what looks like a sepia tone. The whole image is soaked in this brown hue, which flattens it, almost like a monochrome painting. The sepia feels like a filter, aging the photograph and giving it a romantic, almost dreamlike quality. The light is diffused, softening the details of the ancient architecture. If you look closely at the tops of the columns, you can see the erosion on the stone. It is this contrast between the sharp columns and worn textures that makes the image so compelling. The tones here give the image a sense of timelessness, inviting us to contemplate the layers of history embedded in this ancient place, and to reflect on the nature of time itself. Think of Atget, and his early photographs of Paris, where time seems to stand still. What is photography, but a means to hold on to a moment?