Mensen in klederdracht op een dijk bij Volendam c. 1900 - 1910

This small photograph, Mensen in klederdracht op een dijk bij Volendam, probably made with a portable camera, shows a group of figures on a dike, rendered in grainy greyscale tones, with a street lamp that looks like a funny sentinel. I imagine G. Hidderley, the photographer, carefully composing this shot, thinking about the light and shadow, the textures of the buildings and costumes. The people seem paused mid-motion, one figure walking away from the group. I feel the artist capturing a fleeting moment in time, maybe thinking about how to represent everyday life. The tones remind me of Camille Corot's atmospheric landscapes or maybe even some of Gerhard Richter's photo paintings where the image emerges from a haze of grey. Ultimately, Hidderley’s photograph offers a window into a different world, but also reminds me of the shared human experience of capturing memories through images. It's a reminder that every artist, no matter their medium, is in conversation with the past, present, and future.