Gezicht op de Maas in Rotterdam, links Hotel Smits aan de Oude Haven c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong made this small photograph of Rotterdam at the beginning of the 20th century. The sepia tone makes it feel like a memory, or a dream. I’m struck by the soft focus, which gently blurs the details, especially in the distance. It's like the photographer is inviting us to fill in the gaps, to imagine the bustle of the port. The sharpness is reserved for the foreground, where we can almost make out the figures strolling along the quay. There’s a real sense of atmosphere here, a hazy quality that evokes the feeling of a busy, industrial city by the water. The way the light catches the water is particularly nice. It reminds me a bit of Whistler’s nocturnes, in its quiet and contemplative mood. It's less about capturing a specific moment and more about conveying a feeling, an impression. Like a blurred memory, the photograph invites us to revisit a lost time, to remember a place that may no longer exist.