Munttoren, gezien vanaf de Bloemenmarkt 1904

This is an early photograph by James Higson, capturing the Munttoren as seen from the Bloemenmarkt. You know, it's interesting how photography, even back then, played with light and shadow like a painter would with brushstrokes. The tones here are all sepia, like an old memory. I like to think about the surfaces in this image. The boats have a wonderful texture. Imagine the light just kissing the ripples of the canal water. Even the clouds become a kind of brushstroke in the sky. There's a stillness in the image, but it’s really dynamic. The Munttoren itself stands tall, a central, vertical mark against the slightly blurred background. It reminds me that all pictures, even photographs, are about the artist’s choices. Higson chose this perspective, this moment, and in doing so, he’s in conversation with centuries of artists who’ve sought to capture the world around them.