Stoepa's bij een tempel te Peking before 1920

Donald Mennie took this photograph of a temple in Peking sometime in the first half of the 20th century. I can imagine Mennie setting up his camera amidst the dappled light filtering through the trees. It's interesting to consider what Peking must have been like at this time. The composition is fascinating, the way the photographer has captured the scene with such balance and symmetry. It makes me think about how artists are constantly in conversation with one another, borrowing, adapting, and riffing on ideas across generations. There's a stillness to this scene, a sense of timelessness. You can imagine Mennie being drawn to the way the light plays across the surface of the buildings and the landscape, how it creates a sense of depth and atmosphere. Photography is a form of embodied expression, a way of seeing and experiencing the world through a particular lens. Each artist brings their unique perspective, allowing for multiple interpretations of the same subject.