Gezicht op twee poorten te Peking before 1920

This sepia photograph of two gates in Peking, was captured by Donald Mennie sometime before 1944. Looking at this image I can imagine the artist trying to capture a specific moment in time, walking down the street when the light was just right, the contrast between the darkness of the tunnel-like entrance and the sunlit street. You can almost smell the dust and the street food. I wonder what it was like to be Mennie, walking through Peking, framing these shots with his camera. It’s not just about recording a scene; it’s about feeling it, breathing it in. He probably wanted to show people what it was like to be there. The everydayness of the buildings, the people going about their business, just feels so…real. Like painters do with brushes, photographers have to use their materials to evoke a feeling. Mennie plays with light and shadow like a painter to create depth and texture, inviting us to step into his vision. It's cool how one creative act inspires another, and how all artists are in conversation across time.